Held Onto You
by QuinnSwan
Summary: Emma, Regina and Daniel were best friends since forever. Regina chose Daniel and a heartbroken Emma decided to choose her own path. Emma made a huge mistake and tried to get over her past life. However, a ghost from her past decided to knock on her door, asking for a redemption? - Swan Queen. Hunting Queen. AU. No magic. OOC. TW inside. Sorry no smut. No Beta
1. Held Onto You

**HELD ONTO YOU**

The story is inspired by Ryan Cabrera's songs, On the Way Down. Not much of a plot I think. AU, no magic. OOC. M for language. TW premature labour.

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

Sick and tired of this world, there's no more air

Tripping over myself, going nowhere

Waiting, Suffocating

No direction

And I took a dive

"You're off this case, Swan. Go home. Have some rest."

"What? Are you kidding me?"

"No, it is not my decision. In fact, the upper-hand wanted you to take a week off,"

"Hey, if this is about the thing that I do…"

"Yes, obviously it is all about the things that you did behind our back!" The blonde was startled by the sudden exclamation of her superior. The man sitting behind the table had a serious but calm look on his face. "You went against my order and decided to go your own way to take down the suspect, again. You could have jeopardized the whole mission."

"Dude, I took down that bastard and nobody got hurt except for that good for nothing…"

"Swan, just stop and don't dude me," The blonde stopped rambling and scoffed.

"Just go home now, Swan. I can't take the risk of losing any of my man anymore now." The tall blonde woman widened her eyes and raised her eyebrows upon hearing the statement.

"Yeah, Neal would still be here if…"

"Detective Swan, please just go now!"

"Fine, I am going now, Detective Taylor! " The blonde said as she walked towards the door. "Geez, go get laid, dude." She said before slamming the door closed.

Emma Swan, one of NYPD's best detectives at a very young age was also well-known for her attitude. She walked through the cubicles in a very grumpy expression. She heard that some of her comrades were calling her name but she was not in a talking mood. She had been much to herself particularly since her best friend, Neal, died while he was on duty few months ago.

"Go home!" The blonde rambled exasperatedly as she walked in the hallway towards the main elevator. "What sort of an idiotic order was that? Who would want to go home when we have murderers and robbers and rapist and God forsaken terrorist wandering all over the streets? Aren't we supposed to like crack our heads and gunning them down now?" Emma pushed the elevator button multiple times with such unnecessary forces. Then she realized that half of the people on the floor were staring at her.

"What are you guys looking at? This shit ain't moving at all. Aren't elevators supposed to be moving like up and down, are they? Well they're not and I am giving them the order!" The blonde snapped and immediately realized that she had been making a fool out of herself.

Suddenly, she heard the ding sound of the elevator and she quickly walked into the elevator. She instantly pushed the close door button on the elevator without waiting for anyone else to get into it. Well, she doubted that anyone would want to get into the elevator with her after seeing her peculiar act just now.

She rested her back on the wall and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath as she tried to figure out the thing that she should be doing during her day off. _Go home and then what?_ She hated her so-called home very much and she could not figure out why though. She had been living in that apartment for years but it never felt like a home. The woman had rather be at work than to be at her apartment. She sure that she would be lost in her very own apartment, literally, and she could not stand being like that especially not during her birthday. _Damn it, I hate my life._

* * *

The blonde pushed the door to her apartment slowly and turned on the lights. She then stopped and stared at her so-called home, the void living hall, the immense windows and the unexploited kitchen. She left her home three days ago and it still looked the same as it did. Then, Emma realized why she hated her house so much. It is because of the unsettled emptiness in the house. _Alone again, bitch._ She took off her boots and left them by her couch. Then she got out of red leather jacket and threw it across her living hall.

She placed two grocery bags on her diner table as well as her gun along with its belt and the holster. Emma had never been a domestic kind of a woman but since she would be staying at home for a week, she decided to shop and got herself some necessities or some drinks at least. Then, she rummaged through one of her grocery bags and pulled out a white square box. She noted that a pink birthday candle was taped to the box.

She walked towards the big windows and sat by the counter next to the windows. She looked through the windows and she took a deep breath upon seeing the night view of the big city. Maybe she hated her apartment but she was glad that she picked the eighteenth floor. She opened the windows and felt the cold breeze that was softly brushing her face. Then, she opened the white box and carefully took out an apple cupcake with cinnamon-cream frosting on top. She placed it on the counter and lit up the candle on the cupcake.

She looked at the small thing as if it was a living creature. She knew that it was stupid to hope for a wishing star, especially since there was barely a star can be seen from the sky of that city of millions lights, yet Emma decided to make a wish. _Please, don't let me be alone anymore._ Then she blew out the candle and closed her eyes.

"Pfft, who am I kidding anyway?"

* * *

It was about ten minutes before 8 in the morning when Emma got awakened by knocks on her door. She was lying down on her couch and she was sort of forgotten how she ended up there. She looked on her coffee table and saw an empty bottle. Then she realized that it must have been the booze that caused her to doze off. _What a loser._ Then she was stunned to hear the knocks on the door again. She was about to ignore the knocks as she thought that it could be a paperboy asking for his tips or something. However, the knocks just would not stop so the blonde forced herself to get up instead. She put on her belt and holsters before checking that her gun was loaded.

She walked towards the door and looked through the peephole but there was no one to be seen. So, she slowly opened the door and the blonde was sort of surprise to see her guest, a little boy. She studied the boy and made a simple guess that the boy would be around 8 to 10 years old. However, she failed to decipher whose child came knocking her door at 8 in the morning.

"Hello?" Emma said timidly.

"Hi," the dark haired boy said cheerily. "Are you Emma Swan?"

"Well, yes. Who's looking?"

"It's me, Henry," The boy introduced himself and the blonde started to recall any Henry that she had ever encountered in her life. The name sounded so familiar to her but she could not seem to remember anyone at all. "I am your son,"

The blonde gawked at the boy as she contemplated whether to ignore the little stranger and to get on with her life or to play along with him.

"I don't have a son," The blonde stated firmly but she could hear her voice wavered. The boy walked passed by the woman and went into the house ignoring the blonde.

"Wow, awesome view!" He quickly ran towards the windows as he took in the view before him.

"Hey kid, you can't just barge in into a stranger's house…"

"Remember that you gave birth to a baby boy in Boston General 10 years ago?" Emma was so stunned by the boy's question that she could only able to make an incomprehensible sound out of her. "Well, I am him," The boy said innocently. _No… no… no. This is not happening._

"You survived… I mean… how come… but you were so…" Emma looked at the boy and she could tell that the boy was not lying. There were some familiar expressions and features of the boy that she could recognize.

"Why didn't you eat the cupcake? It already melted." The boy lifted the cupcake up and placed in his hands as he took a sniff at it.

"Hey careful, you don't want to get food poisoning or something," The blonde quickly took away the cupcake from the boy and threw it into a dustbin.

"It is apple. Do you like apple?" The boy asked as he rubbed his tummy using his hand.

"Well, yes." The blonde noticed the innocent gesture of the boy and she sighed. "I have another one of that, hold on," She pulled out another familiar white box from her fridge and took out the apple cupcake with the similar topping.

"Why do you have two of those?" Emma had no answer to that question. She placed the cupcake on a small plate and handed the boy a spoon. "Thanks Emma, do you want some?"

"No, I am full already." _Yup, I am totally full right now. No joke._ "You know what, you just enjoy that first. I am gonna get clean up a bit and I'll see you later." The blonde then quickly made her way to her bathroom and stumbled clumsily along the way.

Emma splashed her face with cold water multiple times and rubbed her eyes hard. _It must be the booze! He will be gone later._ However, the blonde realized that she was just fooling herself. She knew all that was real and her son was real. Henry was real and the name was so familiar. _Henry, of course!_ A big realization struck her hard like a blow in a face. All the things that she tried to run away from and to forget were all coming back to her right away. She was hyperventilating as she realized that she just could not run away anymore. Not with the little boy sitting in her living hall.

She used a towel to dry her face and she looked into the mirror. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes hard. She opened her eyes as she let out a breath and looked into the mirror once again. _It was my wish last night, wasn't it? Damn wishing star! It's okay, you can do this Swan._

She walked out of her bathroom and walked back to her living hall. She noticed the empty plate and the boy was standing by the window enjoying the view. "Geez, that was fast. You are starving," She walked to her fridge and took out an orange juice. Henry turned around and walked back to the table.

"It was delicious. I love apple." The blonde tried to ignore the boy as she poured down the orange juice into a glass. Then she handed the glass to the boy as she took a seat in front of him. Her mouth just could not form any word yet though she had a lot of things in her mind.

"My mom and my dad also love apple," Emma raised her eyebrows at that statement and she noticed the changes in the boy's face. She could sense sadness. "Well, my dad used to love apple especially if my mom made an apple pie but…"

"Hey, kid. I got some questions." The boy lifted his face to look at Emma.

"Great because I thought you will never ask a thing,"

"How do you know me? How do you get here? Aren't you parents looking for you? Are they even here? Do I know them?"

"Whoa, slow down. I am ten."

"You should think about that when you decided to drag your ass to this city." The blonde rolled her eyes and she noticed that the boy quickly covered his ears with his hands.

"Hey, you are not allowed to say any dirty word in front of children. My mom will be angry at you!" The blonde sighed and rolled her eyes again.

"Your mom will be so fu… pissed off at me and I don't think she will be mad at me mostly because of something trivial like curse words, kiddo. Gosh!"

"I'll answer your questions but right now you have to come with me. I need to fix something back at home."

"Where are you going now? You haven't answered any of my questions at all." Emma could feel the heat creeping up her face and the boy was getting on her nerves. "Hey kid, listen to me. Didn't your mom ever tell you not to talk to strangers or let alone go to a stranger house." The blonde scoffed.

"You are not a stranger to me. I know you. You're my mom. And my mom… I mean my other mom also knows you." Emma looked into the boy's eyes and she saw sincerity. Somehow, the blonde was touched by the boy's statement.

"You are from Storybrooke, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." The detective could feel that her heart was pounding hard against her chest.

"You went to Storybrooke High with my parents and you gave birth to me after you left Storybrooke about 10 years ago, am I right?"

"Guilty," The young detective suddenly understood the anxious feeling of being interrogated. "So, your parents knew me?"

"Of course, you were my mom's best friend back in her high school," The boy rummaged through his backpack and took out a picture. "Didn't you hear me just now? You like apple just like my mom and me. Ring a bell?" The blonde started to feel giddy and she swore that the whole room was spinning as well. Henry handed her the picture and the blonde reluctantly took the picture from him.

"That is an old picture of you with my mom. Do you remember now?" Emma's eyes widened when she looked at the picture and she could only hear her own breathing at that time. She could feel that she was having a seizure or maybe about to have one later.

"Of course, I do remember your mom, kid." She let out a breath that she had not been aware she was holding.

"Regina Mills," Both of them said simultaneously. Emma was still staring at the picture intently and she realized that she had never mentioned the woman's name for years now. The blonde never stopped loving her brunette best-friend even after all these years of distancing. However, Regina was so oblivious about the blonde's feeling and the brunette was enamored by the town's miracle boy, Daniel Colter.

The boy looked at his blonde mother cheerily. "Yes, that is my mom!"

The blonde put down the picture on the table and peered up to look at the gleeful boy. _I shouldn't make that wish._

* * *

The blonde could not believe herself for making a road trip worth hours of her life to go back to a town that she left 10 years ago. The two were in the blonde's yellow bug in the middle of the city and she was just filled up the tank about a while ago for the journey. She stole a glance at her son as she drove her car wondering how on earth the boy got to the city from her timeworn hometown. For a boy to travel such a distance alone, it might require days of his life.

"Why is it yellow?"

"What?"

"Why is your car yellow? And why did you choose a bug?" The boy asked as he tilted his head to a side and knitted his eyebrows. The blonde noticed the familiar gestures and sighed heavily.

"Kid, you owe me a day off."

"It's not like you really wanted a day off anyway." The kid said while gazing through the window

"Well, you don't know me. I might want my day off after all this."

The boy turned around to look at his blonde mother and turned again to gaze through the window. "Nope, you don't want the day off."

Emma knew that she should not be surprise with the boy anymore. The boy was his son after all and he seemed to have the ability to read other people just like her, or sort of. "What make you so sure?"

"Everyone in the town said that you and dad were similar. He didn't like to take day off as well." There was sorrow in his voice and Emma immediately figured out the cause.

"So, I suppose that I know your dad as well," The blonde side-eyed at her son and the boy was just nodding quietly. She knew that she should stop asking the boy but she just could not stop the curiosity from flooding her mind.

"You're a brave boy, you know, by going to New York all by yourself to look for me. You don't even know me." Emma decided to change the topic. "But you should not pull that kind of a stunt anymore. Gosh, Regina will kill me for this, and then she'll kill you and she will resurrect me to kill me again." The boy chuckled adorably and the blonde was glad that she managed to light up the atmosphere.

"Now tell me what are you trying to do? Why are you dragging me back to that fuc… to that town?" The blonde quickly corrected herself when she noticed that the boy was about to covered his ears with his hands.

"Well, it is because of my mom. She needs help but she will never tell me anything. So, I guess you are the right person to fix it."

"What is wrong with Regina?" There was concern in the blonde's voice and she hated herself for that. After all this years of estrangement, Emma still could not get over the other mother of his son.

"Hey Emma, I need your favor,"

"Kid, you didn't answer my question." The blonde sighed but deep inside in her heart, she appreciated the boy called her by her name instead of calling her mom.

"Not everyone in town knows that you're my mother, so I need you to keep it down for now. Right now, only mom and Grandma Cora know that you're my real mother."

"Okay, I'm so cool with that." Keeping secrets to herself and put up walls around her were Emma best moves. The blonde, however, was dying to know how her son ended up at her door.

The blonde had been suppressing her old memory all these years after she left Storybrooke. The blonde had just finished her high school when she got pregnant. Emma's mother, Ingrid Swan and Ingrid's best friend Cora Mills were the only two who knew that Emma was pregnant. When Ingrid learned that her daughter was pregnant, she decided to move to another place outside of Storybrooke and she asked for Cora's help. After all, it was upon Emma's request that they had to move away. Cora, a doctor and a politician's wife managed to get a home for the Swans in Boston. Ingrid herself was a doctor but she quitted her job years after she got married and spent her lifetime then by doing charity works as well as providing treatments in orphanages. The two of them were living happily until they got into an accident where Ingrid died and Emma suffered minor injuries. The events however made Emma emotionally and physically stressed and led to a premature labour. Emma remembered how painful it was to give birth and how small Henry was. He was born premature and the boy looked so fragile. He was in a baby incubator where he had so many wires on him and a tube attached to a ventilator. She thought that her son could never make it at that time. The young miserable Emma felt guilty so she made a rough senseless decision by leaving her struggling baby boy in the care of Cora.

Emma looked at her son and smiled. He was definitely another miracle boy. She was wondering whether the boy knew that his mother left him because of her blunt thoughts.

"So, are you going to tell me your story yet, kiddo?"

"Hey Emma, I am so sleepy. I didn't sleep all the way from Storybrooke to your house because I didn't want to miss any of the stops. Can you wake me up when we get there?"

"What? Are you kidding me kid?" The blonde looked at her son and stared into his puppy-eyes. Emma immediately recognized those green eyes. _My God, I am looking at my own green-eyes._ She could feel a chill creep up her spine.

"Fine, just go to sleep. I bet your mom will kill me if you have eye-bags."

"Can I ask you another favor? But you have to promise me that you won't tell mom."

"And here I thought that you were going to sleep and give me the peace that I needed for like ever ago. What now?" The boy chuckled coyly and Emma's heart fluttered at that. Henry might be Emma's son by blood but the boy did inherit the features of his adopted mother. His mannerism, his poise and his intelligence reminded Emma of Regina. _I am in a deep shit._ However, his boldness, or in other word, stupidity, to run away from his home and to get to New York was definitely a feature that he inherited from his blonde mother.

"And kid, have you forgotten that I am your mom too? You wanted me to keep a secret from your mom?" The blonde could not believe that she just said that ever.

"I know but you are different from my other mom. You're Emma."

"Fine, what do you want now?"

"Can we get a burger and fries for the lunch? I am hungry and it is going to be a long journey home. My mom always says that low blood sugar is not good for kids my age."

"Oh Lord, I am being tested and you are definitely being raised by Regina. I suppose that your mother doesn't even allow you to eat fast foods, right?" The blonde looked at her son and again she was attacked by familial puppy-dog eyes. "Fine, we get that lunch and then I want you to sleep all the way back to Storybrooke, is that a deal?"

"Yup, pinkies promise deal!" The boy held up his hand towards Emma's and interlocked his little finger with the blonde's. Emma looked at the gesture that reminded her of her old best friend.

"What are you? A girl?" The boy withdrew her hand and chuckled happily.

"Nope, you are." Henry said without looking at his mother.

"Oh kid, I am so gonna pop an aneurysm."

"My mom always said that an-uh, an-uh-rate… what was that again? What is that thing anyway?"

Emma swore that she was just going to ignore the boy and to get him his lunch right away. _It is gonna be the longest day off ever._

* * *

It was already dark when they almost got to Storybrooke. Henry slept for hours before he woke up about an hour ago and started to terrorize Emma's sanity. She swore that the first thing that she was going to do when she got back to New York was to get a first-rated shrink.

"Look, there is the signboard!"

"Kid, I know. I saw it. It is like the only road and the only signboard available here. And I was born here, remember?" Emma said exasperatedly but the boy only shrugged her off.

"So, is your mom still staying at 108 Mifflin Street?"

"If you could remember everything so well, why didn't you come and visit us back here at all?"

"Oh kid, you know, we don't usually answer question with another question. Don't they teach that at school nowadays?"

"Yes, my mom is still staying at 108 Mifflin Street and so is Grandma Cora and Grandpa Henry."

"Just great." The blonde muttered under her nose and could feel the uneasiness in her stomach. The blonde realized that she had got herself into a lot of trouble. She should have called anyone she knew from Storybrooke to come and bring back the boy instead of sending him back here. However, she had lost all of her contacts and she had not even been contacted her own brother, David, for years now. "How about that wicked witch, Zelena? Is she still staying there?"

"Nope, Aunt Zelena is staying with Robin. They just had a baby."

"Oh, that's good, but weird, but kinda good cause I don't have to deal with her then," Emma wrinkled her forehead in disgust.

When they entered the town, Emma noticed that the town had changed a lot. There were so many taller and bigger buildings compared to the time when she left years ago. The streets seemed to be more alive now with all the lights, the shops, the people and the vehicles. She could remember that when she was a teenager the town was pretty much a ghost town by niine at night. The young detective, however, was going to ignore all of that because they were all insignificant to her and she would not be staying long or that what was she thought. She was just going to send-off the kid at 108 Mifflin Street and move on with her perfect lonely life. _Wow, surprise, surprise, Swan._

The blonde kept on driving on the main street until she was in front of the town hall where she noticed a number of patrol cars and patrol officers with some other people gathered at the entrance. "Wow, I don't feel good about all this. Do we have some kind of a parade right now?"

The boy then sighed heavily and shook his head. "I think I just got myself into a huge trouble, Emma. I will be grounded forever." Henry sneaked a peek through the window and quickly sunk himself down.

"Oh kid. You have no idea." Emma just wanted to get away from the area as soon as possible and hoped that her bug would not draw anyone's attention. "Welcome to my life."

After a while, they managed to pass through the main street without having any problem at all. Both of them were so relieved and Emma was glad that she could avoid any commotion. The detective recognized the junction to the Mifflin Street and was about to make a turn when she heard a nearing sound of a patrol car's siren. She glanced at her rear-view mirror and there was a patrol car following her close.

"You can't be serious, dude."

"Oh no Emma, we are going to prison." Henry squealed softly before pulling a blanket over his body.

"Don't worry, kid. You won't go to prison. On the other hand, I will." And with that, Emma started to slow down her car.

The blonde started to look for her NYPD ID after she pulled over her car by the road side. She peeked at the rear-view mirror once again and saw that a man in a dark jacket got out of the patrol car. The dim lights at the junction to the Mifflin Street made it impossible for Emma to recognize the man but she was sure that the man was a sheriff or one of the deputies. Emma held on to her police ID and made sure that her gun was tucked neatly in the holster.

The blonde heard soft knocks on the window, so she took a deep breath, let it out and rolled down her window.

"Good evening, ma'am. May I see your ID please?" The officer greeted her and Emma promptly recognized the owner of the voice.

"David?"

"Yes ma'am. It's Sheriff David Nolan. Do we know…? Oh holy!" The man instantly recognized the blonde in the car. Emma quickly opened the door, almost hitting the man with it in his groin.

"Emma?" Clearly both of them were at a loss for words.

I won't forget the way you loved me

All that I wanted

All that I needed

On the way down, I saw you

And you saved me, from myself

And I won't forget, the way you loved me

On the way down

I almost fell right through

But I held onto you


	2. Just Around the Corner

**HELD ONTO YOU**

Ryan Cabrera - 40 Kinds of Sadness.

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

Two days chasing me around

I go crazy when you're outside of my world

When you're outside of my world

No sounds singing me to sleep

I don't want the room to breathe

Just be with me

My eyes are waiting at the door

Just like every time before

Time flies so slow.

Both of them were quiet on their way to the Mayor's mansion. Emma was having mixed feelings at that moment. Part of her was relieved to have her brother by her side but the family reunion would make the escape to be so difficult later. She drove her car slowly while following her brother's patrol car all the way to the mansion. She explained to her brother that Henry was looking for Regina's best friend but she skipped the part where Henry claimed that she was his birth mother.

She tried to avoid mentioning all of the other details for now because she needed to get her job done as soon as possible, which was to get Henry to Regina right away. She was hoping that David would just take the boy instead and bring him back to his home. However, David thought that it would be best if Emma was there to explain the whole situation to the Mills.

"Why do you guys have different family name? Aren't you two siblings?" Henry's question pulled the blonde out of her trance. She smiled at him. Even though she was so tired, the blonde realized that the boy was the one who kept giving her the strength to go on.

"Our parents got divorced and we lived separately. My mom and I chose my mom's maiden name." She wanted to keep it simple for the boy and Henry seemed to understand.

"Okay."

"Hey kid. You haven't told me your answers."

"We're here." Henry whispered but Emma could hear him. Emma looked at the mansion and was impressed to look at the once luxurious mansion in Storybrooke years ago was looking even more majestic at that moment. Suddenly, she could feel like having knots in her stomach. _I am so totally in a deep-shit._

The blonde pulled over behind his brother's car. David got out of his car first and he made a hand gesture to Emma and Henry to come out of their car as well. Henry and Emma both reluctantly got out of the yellow bug and the boy walked slowly towards David.

David rang the doorbell to the mansion then stood on the front porch waiting for the door to be opened while Henry stood next to him. Both of them turned around to look at Emma who was standing by her car on the road side. "I won't run." The woman hissed.

Then, the front door was opened revealing an elegant matured lady with brown hair. Emma recognized the lady right away, Cora Mills, Regina's mother, a famous physician, Storybrooke's finest.

"Good evening, Dr. Mills. We found Henry." David greeted the woman.

"Hello, grandma." Henry said softly without looking at his grandmother. Cora's eyes widened upon seeing her grandson.

"Henry! Where have you been?" The woman quickly ran towards the boy and hugged him tightly. Emma could see that Henry was struggling to breathe while being hugged and she found that was adorably hilarious. Then Emma saw a young man walked out of the house and he patted the boy on the head. He was smiling with relief and then the man disappeared into the house. _Who the hell was that?_ Emma was wondering about the stranger who just simply went in and out of Henry's home. Cora and David were talking to each other and both of their attentions then turned to Emma. Emma noticed the surprise on the lady's face before she gently smiled at the blonde detective. The awkward blonde returned the smile and waved her hand at the lady.

"Henry!" _That voice._ Emma instantly recognized the voice that had been haunted her for years. A beautiful brunette in a blue bodycon dress walked out of the door and quickly went to hug the boy. Emma could definitely recognize the stunning brunette even though she had changed a lot and her shoulder length hair now was a lot shorter than when Emma last seen her. The woman was Regina Mills, Henry's other mother and Emma's old best friend. At that moment, Emma really wished that she could run away silently. Then Emma noticed that Regina was then followed by the unfamiliar man from before. The blonde felt like her heart was burning upon seeing that man with Regina and she was wondering why.

"Hi mom." Henry greeted his mother and there was guilt in his tone.

"Where have you been, baby? You have been gone for almost two days!" There was relief on Regina's face and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I am sorry, mom. I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"I know, honey. But are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Emma's heart ached upon seeing the scene before her eyes. Regina was worried sick about her son. Thankfully the blonde made the right decision to immediately send him back home on that day.

"I am fine but I don't know about Emma. She had been staying awake the whole day." _Oh kid, well-played._ Emma regretted that she did not sneak out when she had the chance just now.

"Emma? What are you saying baby?"

"Well, actually I went out to get your best friend, Emma, back home." The boy turned around and pointed at his blonde mother. Regina looked up and her eyes widened in shock to see her old best friend. Emma swore that she was having a seizure at that time and she cursed herself for being a retard at that particular moment.

"Emma?" The brunette looked at her long lost friend with her sad brown eyes.

"Hi." It was the only word that Emma managed to produce at that time as she grinned sheepishly. She was so speechless that she could only curse herself quietly for that.

"Henry, what have you done?" The brunette asked her son and the boy seemed to be speechless as well. Emma scoffed at that. _Wow kid, like mother like son._

"It's okay Regina, the boy needs his rest and so is Emma." Cora interrupted the conversation and Emma relieved that she did not have to explain anything at the moment.

"Okay fine," Regina closed her eyes while pressing her hand on her temple. "Henry, we are going to talk about this tomorrow. Right now I want you to get clean up and go to bed." There was authority in Regina's voice mixed with gentleness and care when she spoke to her son.

"Okay mom."

"Go ahead. I'll see you upstairs." Regina kissed Henry on the forehead and peered up to look at the blonde woman. "I need to talk to Emma for a while."

Regina then walked up to the blonde while looking deeply into Emma's eyes. _Oh no, I am officially dead._ Emma was expecting a slap across her face but she was pleasantly surprised when the smaller woman wrapped her arms around Emma's shoulders instead. Regina hugged her friend tightly and Emma gently returned the hug. The blonde felt a bit of a frustration crept into her heart when the brunette pulled herself from the hug.

"It's good to see you again, Emma."

"Same here." The blonde grinned knowingly. _You have no idea._

"I can see that you're as eloquent as always, my dear." The brunette smiled and Emma's heart fluttered at that. "So, how would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?"

"Got anything stronger?" Emma felt like her head was spinning.

 _This is awkward._

* * *

The blonde woman was surrounded by her brother, her adored old best friend, her old best friend's mother and a stranger in the mayor's study room. Emma noticed that the mayor, Henry Mills Sr., was not around ever since she walked into the mansion. She took a sip of the cider in her glass and Emma felt like nothing tasted better than that.

"So, you found Henry in New York?" David tried to clarify her statement.

"No, well yes, sort of." The blonde noticed that everyone was looking at her in perplexity. "What I meant was that Henry went to my house and we met there."

"How did he know where to find your home? What was he doing there?"

"David, I wish I could answer at least half of the questions you guys been asking. I have no idea how and why Henry ended up there." Emma did not say anything about the boy being her son. The blonde noticed that Regina was looking down at her hands. Then, the estranged man who was sitting next to Regina placed his hand on the brunette's shoulder and she looked up at his face. The man gave an assuring smile to her and Regina returned the smile.

"I think that we are all exhausted. Why don't we have this conversation again tomorrow when everyone has a clearer mind?" Cora suggested to everyone after a long silence.

"Fine, I am going to have a look at Henry for a while." Regina stood up and gracefully walked towards the door.

"I am coming with you." The estranged man said as he stood up. Emma somehow felt like punching the man on his face for no apparent reason.

"No, it is okay, Graham. It won't take long." The man nodded and sat down. Emma snickered silently. _Yeah Graham, calm your pants, dude._

"Oh Emma." The blonde was startled by Regina's voice. "Thanks for bringing Henry home."

"Oh sure, no sweat." Then Emma saw it, Regina's genuine smile that she had been missing for years, before the brunette walked out of the room. _Oh no, this woman is going to be the death of me, again._

* * *

"Thank you Dr. Mills. I guess we will be seeing you again tomorrow."

"Well sure Sheriff Nolan. I hope you don't mind having lunch with us here tomorrow then."

"Lunch will be good."

"Great. And Emma, I am really looking forward of seeing you tomorrow."

"Yup, me too." _Spending time with the Mills after 10 years of an estrangement, who wouldn't want that?_ Of course, Emma was dying to see Regina again as well as her son, Henry but she hated the idea of spending her time with one big happy blonde smiled at the lady of the house and turned around indifferently. She walked towards her car groggily and she barely believed that she was still able to be standing after all of the events on that day. She heard David said his goodbye to Cora and the man quickly followed his sister from behind. Both of them were walking together when they heard the clicking sound of the mansion's door being locked.

They were walking towards their cars and after a while, David broke the silence. "So, girl…" The man was grinning and Emma could sense something nasty was coming out from her brother's mouth. "Do you still have the hots for Regina?"

"What the fuck, you bastard!" The blonde yelled at her brother and David could not help noticing the blush on his sister's face. The man laughed out loud and there were tears on his eyes from laughing so hard.

The woman quickly grabbed her brother by his arm and dragged him towards his patrol car. "Are you crazy? We're still on their properties. There could be prying eyes anywhere, dude!" The woman hissed and let go of his brother's arm.

"Damn it, girl. You're funny. You should look at your face."

"Shut up, jerk," David was still laughing but he was getting tuned down.

"Okay fine, I am making up to you. You look like craps and you could really use some drinks now. Come on, Ems."

"No, I think I should be heading…"

"Home? This is your home." Emma noticed the seriousness in her brother's voice and he was looking into his sister's eyes. Emma realized that his brother had a lot of resemblance to their father.

"Okay, fine! I could really use some more drinks after all."

* * *

David was already standing in front of the diner's entrance when Emma got to the Granny's. "You do still remember how to get here, don't you?" The man smirked.

"I might have forgotten a few things but I told you that I am not senile." Emma rolled her eyes and punched her brother on his arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?" The blonde laughed hard at her brother. They kept teasing and pushing each other until Emma bumped into a man with a walking cane who was just walking out of the diner. The man was about to stumble down and both of them quickly steadied him.

"Hey, watch where you were going!" The man pulled himself from their grasps and steadied himself with his cane.

"I am so sorry… Professor Gold?" The blonde eyes widened upon seeing the man.

"What? You have never seen anyone with a walking stick?"

"No, I mean, yes. I am sorry, sir." The woman flustered. However, Professor Gold was totally indifferent towards her as he walked away leaving the two siblings in front of the diner.

"Wow, he doesn't change at all. Being a cripple does not mean that you can be such a bas…"

"Stop David, it was our faults." Emma sighed heavily. "Go easy on him, man. After all, he just lost his son months ago."

"Pfft, that Gold kicked his own son out of his house just because his son chose his own path. The guy died as an honorable man. By the way, you knew about Neal's death?"

"NYPD. We were even in the same unit."

"Oh, I am sorry." The blonde just shrugged off her brother's condolence. David then gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder. "Dad would be so proud of you, detective." Emma looked at her brother with a wretched knowing smile.

"Wow, Granny's is still popular as always."

"Yup, full house as always. So are we going in?" David was looking at his sister expectantly.

"Of course, I am starving like heck." The man smiled then he pushed the diner's door making the doorbell chimed. Both of them walked into the Granny's and Emma could not help noticing that the whole diner turned silent as everyone was looking at her. _Great, as expected, I am an alien now._

"Oh My God, am I seeing the right thing? Emma Swan? Is that really you?" The blonde heard a familiar squeal that broke the silence. A tall brunette with a streak of red hairs behind the diner's counter quickly walked towards Emma and her brother.

"Hi Ruby." The blonde said before she was enveloped by the brunette in a tight hug.

"Welcome back, you bitch!"

"Well, hi everyone. I am back, yay." The blonde said cynically as she pulled herself from the mischievous brunette. She sighed and quickly walked up to a booth in a corner of the diner. She noticed that every pair of eyes in the diner was following her but she ignored them.

David was saying something to Ruby before he walked up to where his sister was sitting. The tall waitress then disappeared into the diner's kitchen.

"I got you your favorite grilled cheese and hot cocoa with cream and cinnamon on top," David said as he took a seat in front of his sister. Emma looked up at her brother and smiled wearily. "Thanks dude."

Emma looked around and realized that most patrons of the diner were still glancing at her way and whispering things. She felt the heat creeping up her face and she wished she could just tell off everyone but she was not in the mood to cause any scene. "Hey, chill." Emma was pulled back to reality by David's words. "You can't blame them for being surprised to see their town's former high school star aka the princess charming."

"Ha ha, very funny, prince charming." Emma glared at her brother.

"Plus, you really resemble mom so much, I almost had a heart attack just now," The man laughed so hard but he noticed that Emma was looking at him with surprise and sadness in her eyes when their mother was being mentioned. "But of course minus the red jacket and your masculinity, you'll be mom."

"What the hell?" Emma slapped her brother on his shoulder so hard making the man to yelp in pain. "I am not that masculine and this jacket is awesome."

"Yeah, I know! I love the jacket. It looks great on you." David laughed when he saw his sister rolled her eyes so hard. "So, it is great to see you again, Emma. I always thought that, you know, we will never see each other again ever." Her brother's tone changed and he looked at Emma with his sad eyes but there was also bliss in them.

"I was always wondering what I did wrong when you and mom suddenly decided to move out of town."

"Oh David, I am sorry…"

"The next thing I know, I was attending mom's funeral and you weren't even there. Everyone was there but you, girl. I looked for you but I couldn't get to you at all. I am sorry that I gave up searching years after that."

"No, you don't have to apologize. I will explain to you, someday, and really, you don't have to blame yourself. It was really my fault. I was being stupid as always." Emma gave a reassuring touch on her brother's hand and the man smiled sadly. The detective could remember that she was admitted to a hospital in Boston after the accident. She requested not to have any visitor while being treated in the hospital and she even asked for Cora's help to keep it as a secret. Cora tried to talk her out of it but Emma insisted to keep the whole events to herself.

"Okay, then. You owe me that, girl. You don't get to walk out of this town until you tell me everything and you're paying for the meals."

"Hey, that is so not fair." Emma scoffed and David laughed out loud like an idiot. The woman was glad that her brother is back to his usual silly self.

"Here you go peeps, your usual greasy grilled cheese and the hot cocoas." Ruby appeared cheerfully with the pair's meals. "And Emma, Granny said hi to you and she's glad to see you back in here. So, the dinner's on her."

"Great!"

"Hey, what about me? I brought her here." David frowned.

"You got your usual, right. You do know how much to pay by now, don't you?" Ruby snickered at the man. "By the way, I got 10 minutes for break." The tall brunette took a seat beside Emma and pushed the blonde aside to get more space.

"So what's up Emma? Why are you back here?" The blonde looked at her friend infuriatingly and she took a sip of the hot cocoa. "Are you going to Regina's wedding?" Emma stunned. She was almost choking on her hot cocoa when she heard the question. She coughed so hard that she turned blue. There was panic on Ruby's and David's faces as they tried to calm the blonde down. The whole diner was looking at them and was murmuring something about them. Ruby was rubbing Emma's back to comfort her while David was considering about doing Heimlich's maneuver but Emma was getting her breath again. The three of them were so relieved after Emma stopped coughing and started to breathe normally.

"Gosh, girl. That was one heck of a reaction!"

"What did you say, Ruby?"

"I said that was one…"

"No! What were you saying about a wedding just now? Regina is getting married?"

"Uhm… yeah? Don't you know? She's getting married next week." The blonde looked at her brunette friend with a comical expression and her brother sensed that something was off about her.

"Wait Emma, you do know that Regina is getting married, don't you? I mean, Henry brought you back because of that, right?" David asked his sister steadily.

"What? No! That brat just dragged my ass back here but he didn't tell me anything at all! What? Are you guys being serious?" She ran her fingers exasperatedly through her hair and she felt like a playback of an old memory where she had to let go of the thing she loved.

"Damn Emma, you really have no idea." Ruby looked at her friend dubiously.

"And I thought I was just teasing you when I asked you if you still have the hots for Regina. You were in fact was so freaking clueless."

"Shut the fuck up David!"

"Oh My God, Emma." The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. _Oh, I am so screwed._ "You still have a crush on Regina?" There was a mischievous grin on Ruby's face. "This is gonna be exciting."

"Okay, first of all. Stop talking about a crush or whatever, because I don't have the crush…" David and Ruby both glared cynically at the blonde. "Fine, yes, I still have the thing for her or something, and Ruby, don't deny it, I know that you also have the hots for Regina, so shut up!"

"Well I certainly won't deny it. She is definitely hot and all. I mean, that damn ass is to be blamed, you know. Pfft… and don't let me start on the innocent straining buttons." The brunette whistled impishly and grinned at Emma.

"Okay, stop it Ruby. Don't make me punch you on the face now."

"Hey, chill," Ruby laughed hard at her friend whose face was turning bright red.

"Second, no, it is not going to be fun or exciting. And third, I really have no idea that she is getting married." Emma lowered down her face in frustration and rested her head on the table. She peered up to look at her brother. "Is she getting married to that guy from just now, you know, that weirdo who kept following Regina around in the mansion?"

"Yeah, that was Graham Humbert. He is an attorney and he is working with the city council. One of those executive administrators. Pretty much the Mayor's wing man."

"A what? So, that means he is working with Regina as well. Oh man…" Her head was so heavy and she felt like the reality was punching hard on her face. The blonde always knew that Regina was going to a law school just like her father.

"Emma, I am really sorry. I really thought that Henry got you here because of his mother's wedding and you were Regina's best friend."

"Yeah, Henry always wanted to make Regina happy." Ruby said softly. "You know ever since Daniel's death over a year ago, I think that somehow, they've changed. I just can't point out how they change but they are." The brunette said hesitantly.

There was a moment of silence as if they were trying to reminisce the times they had with one of their precious friends, Daniel.

"So, was it because of his heart?" Emma broke the silence

"Yup, he was a good man and he was definitely a fighter, a survivor even." David replied softly. Emma's heart ached for Regina who had to see her beloved man dying before her eyes.

"Yup, he was definitely a survivor. It was a miracle that he survived the intensive surgery when he was just a little boy." Ruby smiled at the thought. "I mean the whole town was praying for him and months later he came back to school smiling like nothing actually happened. He was definitely the town's miracle boy."

"Yup, tough to beat that…" Emma nodded while her head was still rested on the table making groggy sounds. David looked at sympathetically his sister and gave gentle pats on her shoulder.

"Hey, what are you talking about? You're Emma Swan, the town's star. You were the one with the trophies and crowns. You were the one who went crazy soloing with the guitar on the stage."

"Dude, that was like million years ago. Remember? High school?" The blonde scoffed and the other two laughed at that.

"Hey Ruby! Break's over! Now get your lazy ass back here!" The three of them were stunned upon hearing granny's voice.

"Okay, you don't have to yell, grans!" Ruby quickly got up and walked up to the counter where granny was standing.

"Nothing has ever changed, right?" Emma sighed.

"You have to stay a bit longer than a day in this town to say that, girl." David smirked and Emma rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Emma, wake up! Someone is here to see you!" The blonde startled upon hearing Ruby's voice and she looked at her watch that showed half past eight in the morning. The blonde scowled and she felt like her whole body was aching. She looked around and realized that she just woke up in one of the rooms in Granny's B&B. David offered her to stay with him in his apartment but Emma refused his offer. She really wished that she could stay with her brother but she just did not want to trouble his wife, Mary-Margaret, who was also her old best friend. Furthermore, the couple also had a baby and the blonde really needed her sleep to be uninterrupted by a crying baby in the middle of the night.

"Hey Emma, wake up now!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" The blonde was wondering who on earth would be visiting her at this hour. She went to the bathroom to get clean up and put on some clean clothes that Ruby left on the bed. The young detective went down to the diner and started to look for any familiar face.

"Of course, it had to be you, kid." Emma rolled her eyes when she saw a grinning boy in one of the booths. "Don't you have school to go to this morning?" She took a seat opposite of the boy.

"It's Saturday. There is no school on Saturday nowadays." The boy pushed a cup of hot cocoa in front of Emma. "This is for you."

"Thanks kid. What are you doing here? Did you sneak out again?"

"No, I already told mom that I am going out for a while to see you here."

"Oh, she didn't mind?"

"Why would she?" The blonde raised her hands feeling defeated and then took a sip of her cocoa. She was touched that Regina even allowed Henry to see her.

"What do you want kid?"

"I need your help. I have this important mission and only you can help me with it."

"Wow, interesting." The blonde said monotonously. "Is that why you brought me here? And why didn't you tell me that Regina is getting married. I almost choked to death yesterday with those two idiots laughing at me."

"Yeah, the mission is related to mom's wedding."

"That is so awesome, kid! What do you want me to be? A flower girl? A bridesmaid? Oh, don't tell me to be the wedding hairstylist and the makeup artist because Regina will kill me when she saw a frowning clown in the mirror staring back at her." The blonde rambled wittily and the boy sighed deeply before interrupted his mother.

"I want you to stop mom's wedding, Emma!" The young detective spluttered and she was grateful that she managed to swallow her drink as it should be or she might end up choking to death.

"What?"

"It is called Operation Swan Queen and it has to be done ASAP because we only have a week until the wedding."

"Operation what? What are you saying, kid?"

"Operation Swan Queen. You have to save mom from the wedding. You're the savior, hence the Swan. And mom is the bride, thus the Queen." Henry explained to Emma assuredly while his mother gawked at him.

"No, I don't care about the name of the operation or whatsoever meaning of it. I just want to know why you are doing this. Why do you want to stop your own mother's wedding?"

"I am doing it because I want mom to be happy." Emma sneered upon hearing Henry's answer.

"Listen, kid. Your mom is happy. She is getting married, remember?"

"No, she is not. She is not in love with Graham. I think she is doing it because of me and grandpa. Graham is grandpa's best apprentice or something. Mom wanted everyone else to be happy and she wanted everyone else to think that she is happy."

"Kid, are you sure you're ten?" Emma looked at her son in disbelieve. "I know your mom. She is not the kind of person who would make some blunt decision. Of course, she loves Graham." The blonde felt like vomiting and immediately regretted saying that.

"No, mom loves you!"

"What?" Emma thought that her ears were playing her. "What are you kidding, kid? No way in hell ever Regina would…"

"She is, Emma, I know. She always loves you." Emma felt a heat creeping up her face and she hoped that Henry would not notice the blush on her face.

"What make you so sure?"

"Dad told me." Emma raised her eyebrows and she could feel a huge lump in her throat.

 _Daniel knew?_

I feel 40 kinds of sadness when you're gone.

I feel the same thing always happens when you're gone

And I know you're just around the corner

But just around the corner is not enough

It's not enough, I don't know why

It's not enough, I miss you all the time

And I know you kinda like it.


	3. Girl, Got a Question

**HELD ONTO YOU**

Inspired by Be Your Everything by Boys Like Girls

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

Four letter word

But I don't have the guts to say it

Smile 'til it hurts

Let's not make it complicated

We've got a story

And I'm about to change the ending

You're perfect for me

You're more than just a friend

So we can just stop pretending now

I gotta let you know somehow

 _Flashback._

" _I knew you'll be here." The blonde grinned as she saw her best friend who was sitting under an old oak tree._

" _Hey, Emma." Daniel peered up to look at his best friend. "Well, this is our sacred place, isn't it?"_

 _Emma sat beside her best friend and softly elbowed the boy on his shoulder as a greeting. The two best friends would usually hang out there after school, under an old oak tree on top of a small hill which was surrounded by meadows, a small lake and a nearby ranch. The huge land and the ranch were in fact owned by the Mills. Regina was the one who introduced the place to them when the three of them were younger. Emma could remember that they used to be playing together there and lay down under the oak tree. Regina even taught them to ride a horse. However, Emma fell off her horse once and she never rode again. The blonde had five stitches on her forehead and was grounded for a week._

" _Neal asked me to play for his band next month. There will a band tournament in Boston!" Emma said eagerly._

" _Wow that is amazing. When is that?"_

" _I think it will be on the same night as the senior prom." Emma pouted and Daniel laughed softly. "But I get to be the lead guitarist and the vocalist as well."_

" _Emma, are you sure about this?" Daniel looked at his best friend knowingly and smiled. The blonde took a deep breath and sighed dejectedly._

" _You're not going to the prom, dude?"_

" _No, I don't think so." The boy smiled at his friend." I don't think any girl would ever want to date a boy who can have a heart attack at any moment of his life." Daniel smiled sincerely as he gazed at the land and tried to avoid Emma's eyes._

" _What the hell is wrong with you? The whole town wants to go to the prom with you. I want to go to the prom with you, well yeah, I think, maybe, sort of." Emma made a comical hesitant look and Daniel laughed hysterically at the blonde._

" _Ems, that sounded so weird." Daniel looked at his blonde friend and snickered._

" _Hey, I was trying to be a good friend here! You should be proud or something, dude." Emma punched her friend hard on his arm and the boy yelped in pain. "But yeah, you're right. It really sounded so wrong and I am so gonna puke right now." The two friends then laughed loudly at each other and they both had to take a deep breath to calm themselves._

" _But man really, you're the miracle boy, you can just ask any girl in the town and she will surely agree to be your date." Emma said to him reassuringly and Daniel smiled at that._

" _Emma, I don't want to be the town's miracle boy. I just want to be me, Daniel Colter, the boy with a congenital heart disease. The boy who went through such a savage heart surgery and barely survived. And if I want to go to the prom, I don't want to just ask any girl to go there with me, I want to go with a special someone who really knows me, or at least with someone who knows how to do CPR." The boy chuckled quietly and the blonde looked at her best friend sadly. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Besides, I have an entrance exam in two months and I really need to work on it if I want to get into a good medical school. I don't want to be worried about some senior prom right now."_

" _Go ask Regina to the prom!" Emma suddenly interrupted the boy and Daniel was taken by surprise by his friend's sudden suggestion. "Regina likes you, like really, really likes you. She is your best friend and my best friend and she knows you ever since forever. So, go ask her, dummy! She will be so happy if you ask her to be her date." Emma looked deeply into Daniel's radiant blue eyes and the boy was so flabbergasted. "Newsflash, she doesn't have anyone to go with, yet, though some guys including Jeff got rejected by her already. You on the other hand have one heck of a chance. Trust me dude, you don't want to blow it off!" She explained theatrically and then turned her gaze away from the boy._

 _Daniel looked at his best friend knowingly and snickered. He patted Emma's head softly and the blonde turned to face him with a grumpy look. "I won't ask her, Emma. You should go ask her."_

" _What… what the heck are you talking about? I... I don't… I mean…" The blonde stuttered and she cursed herself for being an idiot. Daniel could not help noticing the faint blush on the girl's face._

" _She'll be a lot happier if you ask her, Emma. She likes you, too. And you both will be perfect for each other." Daniel told her encouragingly and gave her gentle pats on the shoulder._

" _You really think so, dude?"_

" _I know so."_

 _Daniel, the wisest of them all, always knew things. Somehow, things started to go downhill from there._

* * *

Emma rang the doorbell to the mansion and nervously waited on the front porch. For some apparent reason, the blonde felt like a teenager coming to pick up her date to a senior prom. She scoffed at that idea and the irony of it since Emma did not even go to her senior prom years ago. Instead, she went to a band tournament with Neal and it was the root of her problem today.

The blonde then cursed herself for coming to the mansion. She undeniably had cold feet but then she saw her brother's truck by the roadside. She owed her brother so much that she decided to join the lunch with the Mills. Emma however was still in shock after hearing Henry's revelation in the morning just now. The blonde felt giddy because deep inside in her heart, she was hoping that Regina's feeling towards her was real and not some kind of Henry's little fairy tales.

"Hello Emma." The blonde was pulled out of trance by a voice that she had been longing for. Regina was standing in the open doorway and the brunette was wearing a knee length red dress. "So are you going to keep on standing there staring at me or are you ever going to come in?" The brunette chuckled softly when the blonde did not make any move at all. Emma scolded herself for being stupor at that exact moment.

"Hey Regina, I'm sorry. I was just, you know, thinking 'bout something?" The blonde smiled foolishly and Regina found that the blonde's puppy smile was adorable.

"Oh please, don't hurt yourself, my dear." Emma felt her heart skipped few beats upon hearing the endearment even though she knew that Regina often said that to almost everyone. Regina was started to get annoyed when her blonde best friend still seemed to be in her deep trance again. "Detective Swan, really? Do you want me to go over there and drag you in here because I don't have the whole day?"

"Uhm, that doesn't sound like a bad idea, Ms. Mills." _Shit, I think I just flirted with her._ Regina's eyes widened at Emma's response. "I mean I could really use some helps around the town since I'm kinda new to it." The blonde said assertively and she was wondering what had gotten into her.

The brunette shook her head as she smiled at the blonde. "Oh please don't get ahead of yourself, dear." The blonde smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "And really Miss Swan? After all these years of living a prestigious life in an enormous city and that is how you ask a lady friend to go out with you?"

"Well, I guess that means that I am the same person as I was years ago and I haven't changed a bit." Emma looked at Regina with pleading eyes and the latter rolled her eyes as she scoffed at the blonde.

"Fine Emma, we'll have a walk around town later today or tomorrow."

"Great!" The blonde beamed brightly as she pumped her fists up in the air.

"You're a child." The brunette giggled and shook her head upon seeing her friend's juvenile behavior.

"Well Gina, as I said before, I haven't changed at all," The taller woman walked up to the smaller woman and almost got into Regina's personal space. The brunette was staggered by the blonde's act and she took a step back. Regina peered up to look at Emma and she was met with gleaming green eyes.

"Emma, what's wrong?"

"Regina, I need to tell you…"

"Regina, Graham is on the phone!" A familiar high-pitched voice interrupted the two friends making Emma stammered. A pixie-haired brunette walked out of the mansion and she was bewilderedly looking for Regina. "Regina, you got a phone call."

"Okay, thanks Mary-Margaret. I'll go get it." Regina smiled at her pixie-haired best friend and Mary-Margaret returned the smile. "So, are you coming in now, Emma?" Regina looked at Emma with a questioning look and Mary's eyes widened upon seeing the blonde.

"Emma?" Emma inhaled deeply as she was expecting a drama.

"Hi MM."

"Oh My God, it is really you!" Mary-Margaret quickly embraced her friend and there were tears rolling down her face. "Why didn't you tell us that you're coming back? And I thought David was joking yesterday."

Regina was so amused by the adorable reunion of her two best friends and she laughed softly at Emma's dull expression. "I guess I'll see you during lunch. I have to take the call." Regina told the young detective who was tightly enveloped by Mary-Margaret.

"Okay, you go do that." Emma grimaced as she started to have the difficulty to breathe while Regina could only laugh at the blonde and left her two friends to catch up. "Okay MM, I think that's about enough of hugging for now." She slowly pulled herself from Mary-Margaret's embrace.

"Oh, I am sorry, Emma. I think I was just so thrilled to see you here."

"Yeah, I can totally see and feel that."

"Hey, you can't blame me for being dramatic! You've been gone for like ever and I didn't expect you to be standing here grinning like a fool with Regina… What were you two doing just now?" The pixie-haired brunette eyed at her blonde friend suspiciously.

"Okay, let's get in there now MM. The lunch is calling." Emma turned her friend around effortlessly to face the mansion's door and Mary-Margaret still had the doubtful look on her face.

"Right Emma, but you know that you won't get away from this." The blonde scoffed at her friend and just shrugged away the warning. She was so glad to see her best friend, Mary-Margaret, again despite her nosiness. Emma, Regina and Mary-Margaret were clique ever since they were in the elementary school but Emma would've rather wrestled with her brother in the mud than going shopping or doing hair with the other two girls. The blonde however loved hanging out with the girls since she always felt the need to be the guardian for the girls.

"So, you're here with David? I recognize that truck."

"No, I got here this morning. David is still at the station." Mary-Margaret held the door open and let her blonde friend pushed past through the doorway. Emma walked into the foyer and was amazed by the look of it. The mansion's foyer used to be a playroom for the three girls but now Emma felt as if she did not recognized the mansion anymore.

"Emma, what are you gawping at?" Mary-Margaret could not help noticing her best friend's astonished reaction and found it adorably hilarious. "Weren't you here yesterday?"

"Yeah, I was here yesterday but I was too caught up being interrogated and all, I didn't get the chance to be amazed. I mean, whatever the heck happened to this mansion? Did it get multiplied by hundreds or something?"

"I am really sorry that you had to go through the interrogation, Emma." A voice suddenly interrupted the blonde's admiration towards the mansion.

"Oh hi, Dr. Mills." The blonde stammered when she saw Cora. "No, don't worry about it. That was what every adult would totally do when a kid had gone missing. I mean, I've been there, doing the interrogation, quite routinely."

"Certainly a detective, aren't you?" Cora beamed at Emma and turned to Mary-Margaret. "Mary dear, can you do me a favor by finishing up in the kitchen? It seems like my daughter is so into her conversation with her beloved man that she forgot to get some other things done." Mary-Margaret noticed that Emma's face twitched when Regina and Graham were being mentioned by the mayor's wife.

"Sure Dr. Mills, I'll get it done." The pixie-haired woman stole a glance at Emma before disappeared into the kitchen.

"So, how was your night, dear?"

"It was quite alright." Emma just shrugged her shoulders.

"Great then." Cora looked at the blonde in her eyes and sighed. "I know that you've been wondering about certain things, Emma, so I've decided to clear all the things up before our lunch. If you don't mind, please come with me to the study room."

"Sure, I don't mind." The blonde could feel that her heart was thumping hard in her chest. They both walked into the study room silently and Emma went to sit on one of the couches. Cora then closed the door behind her and took a seat opposite of the blonde.

The dark-brown haired woman sighed again before she started to speak. "Emma, first of all, I would like to apologize for all of these messes. I completely understand if you are angry at me or any other people in this town including my daughter, Regina."

"What? No. I am not mad at any one of you, especially not at Regina… and you, Dr. Mills. Yes, I was so very surprised to see Henry and I was so, mind you, fucking confused that I can't even get mad anymore." Emma inhaled sharply as she looked down on the floor. "After all, I was the cause of all these messes."

Cora smiled hearteningly at the blonde. "Dear, I won't give you that much of credit. I should have stopped you from leaving but I was so preoccupied with saving your son's life. I was so distracted, Emma."

"I am glad you did. You saved Henry. You don't have to worry about me. I was already a big girl at that time."

"I promised your mother that I would look after you, dear."

"And you did a great job!" The blonde smiled cheerfully at Cora. "Look at Henry. My mom would be so happy to see him being so healthy and bright. I would never be able to provide such a great life for him and I thanked you for that."

"You should be thanking Regina then." Emma looked at the matured lady with a quizzical expression. "When she learned that the boy was yours, that girl was so troubled that she went to visit the baby boy in Boston General almost every week. I couldn't stop her. She would drag Daniel along with her and they would spend a whole day together."

"So, what happened after I left him? I really thought that he wouldn't make it. He was so tiny, so fragile and I was so scared. I left my son to die." The young detective closed her eyes as she trembled with her own thoughts.

"Emma, I called up all of my friends, the best neonatologist and pediatricians, from all over the country and they were all so committed. I got all of them before you even left. Of course, I told them that Henry was my grandson and they went all out for the boy." Emma almost had her tears rolling down her cheeks listening to the doctor. "I spent most of my time in Boston and I stayed at the house where you and your mother used to be living. Regina was so worried about me being all alone in Boston so she decided to accompany me in Boston. Initially, she just thought that I was working on some rare medical cases there but being a curious girl, she found all of your stuffs there and started to suspect things. One night then, she confronted me and I just had to spill it all out."

"Wow, such an extreme mess I made, huh?" The blonde mumbled to herself.

"When Henry was allowed to be discharged from the hospital after months, we tried to trace you." The doctor sighed "We failed. We had no idea where to find you." Cora glanced at the blonde.

"My daughter and I fell in love with the boy. Regina kept saying that the boy resembled Daniel for being a strong survivor. Then, one day, Regina told me that she decided to adopt the baby. She was so young and was just starting her college. I tried to talk her through it, she was naive but determined. She said she was ready. I just couldn't refuse my dear girl, and plus I love the boy, so I agreed to help Regina to adopt the baby. It was really hard initially, and after months of legal wrangling, we managed to legitimately adopt the boy." Cora smiled contentedly at the happy thoughts.

The blonde looked at the woman before her and she was so speechless. She never thought that some other people would go to such lengths for her son when she herself decided to run away and left the boy to suffer.

"Wow, I really screwed up. I didn't know about that. I owe you guys so much."

"It doesn't matter anymore, Emma. It was all in the past." The blonde nodded her head weakly. "Right now, I have something more important to ask you." The young detective looked at Cora with widened eyes. "From a mother to another mother, I need you to answer my question frankly." The brown haired woman looked deeply into Emma's eyes and could feel that her heart was beating faster than ever. _Oh woman, please don't ask me whether I have the hots for your daughter._ "Do I need to be worried about your presence?" Emma looked at Cora confusedly and she wrinkled her forehead. Cora chuckled at the blonde's response. "I mean, are you going to take away Henry from Regina?"

"What? No, I will never ever do that! I never thought of taking away Henry from Regina, from all of you." Emma looked at Cora with an unwavering gaze as she tried to convince the brown-haired lady. "Regina had been through too much and there's no way in hell I'm taking away the person she loved more than anything. No offense, I mean, of course she loves you, Dr. Mills, and you're her mother." Emma chuckled nervously. "But the way Regina looked at Henry was something else. I can't take away that. It is wrong." Emma shook her head and looked down on the floor. "I won't do that." She mumbled to herself.

"Emma, I'm sorry. I was just asking." Cora gave the younger woman a gentle comforting smile. "Well, it really makes me so happy to know that you care so much about my daughter." The older woman's smile widened in a playful way and she looked at the blonde with one raised eyebrow.

"Oh well, Regina is my best friend after all." Emma chuckled oddly like a silly person as she was trying to cover the blush that was creeping up on her cheeks. _Damn it, lady!_

"Best friend, huh?"

"Yup, best friend forever." Emma grinned and she intertwined both her hands as she encircled both her thumbs anxiously. _Shit, shit, shit!_

Cora was about to say something when they got interrupted by Regina calling to her. "Mom, daddy is home and the lunch is ready now."

"Yes, my dear, I am in the study room." Cora replied to her daughter.

"What are you doing in there?" The door to the study was opened revealing Regina. "Oh, Emma is with you. I thought that she already ran off." The brunette smiled playfully.

"Very funny, Regina." The blonde scoffed and Cora eyed at the two women questionably. A grin was plastered on the matured woman's face.

"Well, dear girls." Cora stood up and gestured Emma to come along with her. "I really love to play along with you girls but we are having lunch right now, so move along now." The two young women looked at each other confusedly before following the older woman into the main hall. The blonde was hoping that none of those two women notice the blush that had been creeping on her face. She totally felt like a teenager who got busted by her girlfriend's parents while making out with her girl. Well, of course, Regina was not her girlfriend and she was not even making out with the brunette. _What the heck am I thinking, get real Swan!_ The blonde somehow regretted of being back in Storybrooke. It did bring back her bad memories.

"What were you two doing in there?" The brunette's question pulled Emma out of her trance.

"Well, we were…"

"We were reminiscing the good old days, my dear. I just wanted Emma here to know what she had been missing all these years"

"Oh, that was great." The brunette said softly as she turned to look at her best friend while the blonde tried hard to avoid Regina's gaze.

"So, there are my favorite girls!" A man's voice suddenly interrupted the women. Regina beamed at her father, Henry Mills Sr. and Emma felt relieved right away for the distraction. The man was standing at the foyer with David stood by his side waiting for the ladies.

"Henry dear." Cora greeted her husband as she hugged the man and gave a peck on his cheek.

The blonde walked up to her brother and smiled nonchalantly. "Hey Ems, how are you doing?"

"Great." Emma scoffed as she rolled her eyes. David chuckled knowingly at her.

"So Emma Swan, you're back." The mayor offered his hand to shake to the blonde. Emma shook the man's firm grasps. "Yup, I'm here, Mr. Mills." The blonde grinned.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look so much like Ingrid?"

"Yeah, I get that alot lately."

"So, how was your trip, daddy?" Regina quickly interrupted the conversation when she noticed the uncomfortable look on Emma's face as her late mother was mentioned by the mayor.

"It was a fine trip but I'd rather be at home with you. And Regina, I'm really sorry that Graham cannot come along for the lunch. He had some errands to run."

"No, it is fine, dad. He already called me just now."

"Henry dear, you are so cruel to the young man making him work all the time. You're keeping the boy away from our Regina."

"Mom…" Emma noticed the tinge of blush on Regina's cheek and she could not help feeling sick in her stomach.

"Oh I didn't. It isn't my fault that he is trying to impress his future father-in-law. Plus, he is the one who will be taking my daughter away from me. So, I believe I need to be with my daughter before she stepped out of this home leaving her old man."

"Oh daddy." Regina looked at his father with a sad smile on her face.

"Oh, you're being dramatic, Henry. Don't you think so, Emma?" Cora playfully nudged the tall blonde towards Regina making the blonde stammered. Emma chuckled nervously as she tried to avoid looking into the older lady's direction. _Shit, she knew._

"Are you okay, Emma?" The question startled Emma and Regina quizzically looked at the blonde and her mother.

"Don't worry, dear. I think your friend here is starving." Cora laughed loudly as she placed Emma's hand into hers. "Please, don't be offended, my dear. I just feel great to be able to cook for someone. Everyone else seems to be too busy to be home for lunch nowadays."

"Mom, I am always home for dinner." Regina scowled at her mother.

"Yes, I know, honey." The doctor entangled her other arm with her daughter's while her other hand was still holding Emma's. The blonde stole a glance at Regina who was smiling adorably at her mother. Emma's heart skipped a beat at the view.

"You know, Dr. Mills, I think you're a great cook. I don't mind dropping by here every other time for dinner," David suddenly appeared next to Emma and the blonde looked at her brother in disgust. Cora and Regina could not help laughing at his silly face.

"Oh no mister! You are expected to be at home for dinner." Everyone turned their face towards the voice that came from the dining room. "Look Neil, daddy's here." Mary-Margaret appeared from the dining room with a baby in her arms.

David walked towards his wife and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Hey Neil, what were you up to?" He said as he took the boy from Mary and placed in his arms. "Look who's here. It is your awesome aunt Emma." David swayed the baby slowly in his arms as he brought the boy closer to Emma.

"Hey kiddo," Emma pinched the baby's cheek softly. "You have the charming smile just like us," The blonde said proudly and her brother grinned at her.

"Okay boys," Mary-Margaret called up her family and Emma glared at the pixie-haired brunette. "Let's go, now. Everyone is already in the dining room." David walked with his wife as he held their baby and Emma took a deep breath before following the couple. _Here goes nothing._

When she entered the dining room, Emma realized that how much the room had changed. She was greeted by Henry who suddenly embraced her in a tight hug. Regina smiled at the two and Emma returned the smile awkwardly as she hugged her son. Emma also noticed the questioning looks on David and Mary-Margaret's faces. She swore that she would disclose her secrets to the couple later on that day. The boy then pulled himself from the hug and grabbed her hand. He pulled her towards the table and made her sit on a chair. The boy then quickly took a seat next to her. Then Emma realized that the boy was scheming something when Regina sat next to her seat. The boy smirked proudly while Emma started to feel the heat.

* * *

It had been years since she had a dinner with her family and she missed it. The food was delightfully delicious and everyone was so cheerful. Everyone was talking happily about the things in the past that happened in the town while she was gone. David kept on bringing up Emma's superstar past and made a joke out of it. Even though the blonde felt like punching her brother in his face, she also found that her brother was pleasantly humorous.

At first Emma felt awkward by just being there among her family and friends but after a while she realized that she had been longing for that kind of gathering. The blonde could not help noticing that nobody ever asked her anything that might offend her as if they understood her. She had these walls that she built around her years ago and everyone knew that well. Therefore, she doubted that she ever going to stay in the town, especially with the upcoming wedding.

Then suddenly, she felt a gentle touch on her thigh. Regina looked at her with a knowing face. Vibrant green eyes met beautiful soft brown ones. The blonde smiled at the brunette, realizing that she must had drifted away from all the conversations.

"Are you okay? Is there something wrong with the food?"

"No, I am good. The food is great. You and your mom are great cooks." Regina chuckled softly and Emma noticed the tinge of pink on the brunette cheeks. _Was she blushing? So fucking adorable! Damn it, calm your pits, Swan!_ The blonde felt like her food might have gone down into a wrong pipe because she stopped breathing for a while.

"Do you have any plan for today?" The brunette asked Emma pulling the blonde out of her trance.

"No, I don't really have anything in mind right now." The blonde really wished that she could tell the brunette that she was going back to New York.

"Well of course. It is so typical of you to have nothing in mind." The brunette rolled her eyes with a sly smirk on her face.

"Hey, what do you mean?" Emma hissed playfully at the brunette. Regina could not help laughing at the blonde and Emma realized that she really wanted to hear the lovely sound again after so many years without it.

"I was just kidding okay!" The brunette chuckled and she took a sip of her wine.

"I know." The blonde really missed their banters.

"Then, I guess you'll be coming with me then."

"What?"

"You wanted me to show you around right? I'll show you around then but you have to accompany me to go to some particular places."

"Seriously? You mean like just the two of us?"

"Yes, Emma. Just the two of us like the good old days," Regina smiled warmly at the blonde. There was a conflicted look on Emma's face as she was contemplating whether to stay in the town for another day or to pull back right away. After all the revelations by Henry and Cora, the blonde really felt like running away from the town, again. She had caused nothing but pain years ago to the people in that room. She really did not want the same thing to happen again.

"Emma? What are you thinking? You know, if you don't feel like going or anything, I totally understand." Emma was pulled out of her trance by Regina's voice. The blonde noticed the heartfelt smile on Regina's face and she returned the smile. Even though the whole table was talking to each other and laughing as loudly as ever but all Emma could see and hear was the brunette next to her. The blonde's gaze lingered on her brunette's friend as she made up her mind. Emma realized that she needed to get a good grip on herself.

"Yeah Regina, about that…" _Damn Regina. I can't do this!_

We used to say

That we would always stick together

But who's to say

That we could never last forever

Girl, got a question

Could you see yourself with somebody else?

'Cause I'm on a mission

And I don't wanna share

I want you all to myself right now

I just wanna scream it out


	4. Something I Can't Be

**HELD ONTO YOU**

Goo Goo Dolls's - Think About Me

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

You take a lot of chances with your feelings

No one really knows what you feel

Fixing is the only way you're dealing

You turn your pretty head and think it's real

Emma sighed again for the hundredth time that day. The blonde kept on blaming herself for making a foolish terrible decision, yet again.

Of course it had to be a bridal boutique or something when Regina mentioned that she had to go to some particular places. The detective hated going to this kind of fancy place but she promised Regina that she was coming along. After all, the blonde did not want to miss the chance of being alone with the brunette. _What the heck am I thinking?_ Emma also noticed the mischievous look on David's face when the blonde told her brother that she was going out with Regina. She knew that she could not resist the exquisite smile on the brunette's face and oh, her pretty pleading brown-eyes. The detective scoffed at herself for being such a weakling.

Regina was still changing in the fitting room and Emma had been waiting on a big white couch in the lounge area for half an hour. The young detective then lay down on the couch and sprawled her legs on the coffee table. "Gosh, this is good. I should get one of these couches." She looked at her watch and grimaced. "Man, what took her so long."

"I apologize for taking so much time." The brunette's voice startled the blonde.

"No, it's okay, I was just about…" Emma quickly stood up and turned around to acknowledge her friend. However, the sight before her made Emma felt like the whole world stopped spinning and she could not take her eyes off of the brunette. Regina was standing gloriously in front of Emma in her strapless Chantilly lace white wedding dress. Her hair was tied into a loose side braid.

"What do you think, Emma?" Regina swirled around in her wedding dress. Though, the blonde was so terribly dumbfounded at that moment. "I think they fixed it well. You should look at it when I put it on a couple of weeks ago. I felt like there was a parachute attached to my hip." The brunette babbled while looking into a mirror. Emma knew that she was gawking at Regina but she could not stop herself from drooling over her friend. She praised the person who designed the dress because the brunette fitted perfectly in her dress. The blonde was also pleased at the lack of patron in the boutique at that time. It was most probably due to the Mills' reputation that the owner and the staffs decided to give Regina all the space that she needed.

"Emma, are you going to stare at me forever or are you going to at least say a word?" Emma was pulled out of her daze realizing that Regina was now standing in a close proximity to the blonde. The smaller woman was waving her hand in front of Emma's face to get the stupor woman's attention. "Hello there, are you in there?"

"What, yeah, I am sorry, what were you asking just now?" Emma stuttered and Regina could not help laughing at her.

"Seriously, I knew that Kathryn's idea to have you to accompany me here is wrong." The brunette looked into Emma's eyes and found them to be widened upon hearing her statement.

"What do you mean?"

"Kathryn is supposed to be here with me but she insisted me to bring you instead. She said that we should have our bonding moments to make up for the lost time or something."

"She said that? Bonding moments?"

"Yes Emma, plus she said that she had some errands to run. It was so sudden, I had no idea what was it." The brunette shrugged her shoulders and she turned around to face the mirror from where she was standing.

"Of course, suddenly everyone has to run errands." The blonde mumbled to herself. _So, everyone is scheming._

"What was that again, dear?"

"Nothing!" Emma looked at the brunette who was standing in front of her with her back facing the blonde. The detective took a deep breath upon seeing the exposed olive skin. "I mean, I was meaning to say that, you look gorgeous in that dress." Regina was so surprised to hear the blonde's honest opinion and she peered up to look at her friend's reflection on the mirror. Their eyes met on the mirror and there was an earnest smile on the blonde's face.

"I don't know if gorgeous is even the best word to describe you right now, I could not find the right word, but you are really stunning. You're beautiful. You always do, Regina." Emma did not know what gave her the strength to say those words but she was glad to be able to say the things that she really wanted to say for years. The brunette was still staring at their reflections on the mirror unable to form a word to reply to the blonde. She had not expected those words to come out of Emma's mouth. The blonde noticed the astounded look on Regina's reflection and could sense the tension in the atmosphere. _What the fuck have you done?_

"The dress is perfect, you know, like very suitable for a wedding?" The blonde tried to say something to break the tension in the air and she knew that it came out so wrong. "Pfft, who am I kidding? What do I know about dresses and stuffs like that? I bet Henry knows so much more than me." Emma raised her hands comically, palms up, in a sign of defeat. She looked at everywhere but at the brunette and plopped on the couch in front of her dramatically.

Suddenly the blonde was startled by a sudden burst of laugh. "And I was standing here almost impressed by your initial commentaries. You totally ruined the moment. Very suitable for a wedding? Really?" The brunette laughed hard that there were tears in her eyes. "Oh dear, I completely overlooked that you were that Emma Swan."

"Hey, what do you mean by that Emma Swan!" The blonde stood up putting her hands on her hip as she faced her brunette friend. "And what do you mean by 'almost impressed'? You were like totally impressed by my words, weren't you? You should look at your face, your majesty."

"Oh? Don't you mean my gorgeous face?"

"Yeah, I mean, no, whatever 'Gina. I say you were totally impressed." Emma looked away from the brunette trying to hide the blush that had appeared on her cheeks. The blonde pouted before she slumped on the couch. Regina snickered at the blonde's adorable reaction.

"Fine, I was impressed by you, Emma." Regina turned around to look into the mirror again. "I guess it was worth the wait after all. Those were definitely the most beautiful words I need to hear all my life especially during this nerve-wracking moment." The blonde then noticed the crack in Regina's voice. Emma instantly looked at her brunette friend and her heart sunk upon seeing the view before her. Regina stood in front of the mirror, looking down, as she wiped the tears in her eyes.

"Hey, are you okay? Did I actually say something wrong again? I am really sorry, Regina." The blonde quickly stood up and walked over to Regina. Emma stood a couple of steps away behind Regina contemplating whether she should hug the smaller woman to comfort her or not. Regina peered over her shoulder to look at the tall blonde and noticed the look of concern in the blonde's face.

Regina smile reassuringly at Emma. "Don't worry, dear. It's not you. It's me. I think the wedding is taking its toll on me." The brunette chuckled nervously trying to hide away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "Oh my god, this is so embarrassing! I should be happy for the occasion but here I am making you worried and all. So much for our bonding time." Regina laughed as she wiped her tears and inhaled sharply.

"Hey, what are you saying? I am really having a good time right now with you just like the good old days." Emma looked at her friend with an amusing smile plastered on her face and the brunette sincerely returned the smile. "Plus, I am so used of you being the crybaby one anyway." Regina's eyes rounded at the statement and Emma noticed the light tinge of red on the brunette's cheeks. "Remember when we were playing on the hill after the rain and there was like mud stains on your dress? You were so mad at me and you cried so hard that I had to buy you an ice cream."

"I am not a crybaby and that was my favorite dress. It was so expensive and my mother was so mad at me!" Regina glared at Emma as the latter was laughing hard as ever.

"Oh yeah, that was not all. Remember that time when you cried for hours after we watched The Lion King and I had to hold your hand until you calm down."

"We were like five or something, Em-ma!"

"I didn't cry, 'Gi-na." The blonde grinned proudly at her frowned friend.

"You're infuriating!"

"Oh is it?" The blonde smirked at her friend. "Don't let me start on our sixth grade teacher, Ms. Houston's farewell."

"Okay fine," The brunette raised her hands in defeat. "Yes, I am a crybaby." Regina rolled her eyes in annoyance while Emma laughed at her friend's distinguished gesture.

"Well, I guess, that's what friends are for." The blonde walked up to Regina and stood too close to the brunette, invading her personal space. Regina was so surprised by the blonde's move and she peered up to look at her tall friend. Emma noticed that there were still tears in the brunette's eyes and she was so captivated by the soft brown eyes. The blonde's eyes followed the tears that rolled down Regina's cheeks and her gaze then settled on the brunette's plump red lips.

"I am here now, Gina." The blonde broke the comfortable silence and their gazes locked. Emma smiled gently before tucking a stray strand of hair behind the brunette's ear. "I am here to wipe away those tears and to hold your hand for as long as you need." The blonde took Regina's hands into hers and held them firmly. "Maybe I can get some ice-cream and watch The Lion King or Tarzan or whatever movie that you like at your place because we don't really want to hang out at my brother's place. That would be messy." The brunette chuckled softly at that and Emma's heart fluttered upon seeing her friend's smile.

"I want to be there for you, Regina and for Henry as well. I want to be the friend that you used to have years ago. I don't want to miss a single thing about you and Henry, not anymore." The blonde smiled as she noticed a slight tinge of pink appeared on the brunette's cheeks. "I can be the flower girl or walk with you down the aisle along with your father, if you want to." The blonde said while holding Regina's hands in hers and shrugging her shoulder nonchalantly.

"Oh My God, Emma. I am really sorry that I didn't tell you about my wedding and everything about Henry when we met yesterday. I was so worried about Henry when he went missing."

"Hey, don't worry about that. We got that covered already." Emma said in an assuring tone. The brunette nodded slowly, still feeling guilty as she looked down, trying to avoid the blonde's gaze. Emma placed her finger under Regina's chin and lifted the brunette's face until their gazes met. "Regina, please, I meant it. Don't worry about me. Don't be sorry or anything. I think I can handle these little beautiful surprises." Both of them chuckled softly.

"I haven't wished you a happy birthday yet." Regina looked into green eyes. "Happy belated birthday, Emma Swan. " The blonde was so pleasantly surprise to hear the wish. It had been years since anyone had actually wished her, aside from Neal. "I know it should be yesterday but I was so troubled and all."

"Hey, thanks. You're the first one to remember and I think that's good enough for me." The blonde interrupted the rambling brunette and gave Regina a wholehearted smile. The brunette returned the smile and nodded. Both of them stood there, their faces mere inches apart and they were literally breathing each other's air. Emma lowered her gaze to Regina's lips and the blonde bit her own lips, trying to fight the urge to kiss those plump red lips. "Regina, I…"

"Henry, are you in here?!" Suddenly, a familiar piercing voice interrupted the two women. Both of them immediately turned their faces towards the direction of the voice which was the entrance to the lounge.

"Hi, moms." Henry was standing on the white couch with a rascally grin plastered on his face. _Oh Lord, this kid is so grounded forever._

Regina was so speechless upon seeing her son and Emma cleared her throat anxiously. "Hey kiddo, it is nice seeing you here. How long have you been standing there anyway?" Emma glared at her son and the boy laughed innocently.

"Not long enough." Henry chuckled at his dumbfounded mothers.

"Oh there you are, Henry. You know you're not allowed to walk into any shop without adult supervision." Mary-Margaret blathered as she walked into the boutique's lounge area towards the boy. The pixie-haired brunette then turned her attention towards the two women. "Oh My God, you're so gorgeous, Regina!" As she approached her two friends, Mary-Margaret became aware of the close proximity between the two women. "And you're here as well, Emma. I didn't know that." The blonde noticed the curious look on Mary's face, so she quickly stepped away from Regina and walked up to her son.

"It was a last-minute plan, MM." The blonde said wearily as she took a seat next to Henry.

"Oh yeah, but I thought…"

"It's great that you're here, Mary. I thought that you said that you couldn't come because you needed to look after baby Neil." Regina quickly interrupted Mary and she gently grabbed her pixie-haired friend by the hand.

"Yes, Henry insisted to see you after he did his homework."

"I want to get some ice-cream with you, mom!" Henry interrupted Mary and Regina could guess that Henry was referring to both of his mothers.

Mary sighed wearily as she looked at the boy and Emma tried to hold her laughter. After spending a whole day in her bug with the boy for a long journey, the blonde could totally understand what Mary had gone through. "I didn't want him to wander around, so I just drove him here while your mother is looking after Neil. By the way, I thought that Kathryn is supposed to be here with you." Mary turned her face to look at Emma and Regina noticed the heedful look on Mary's face that was directed to Emma.

"Kathryn could not make it so Emma had to accompany me here. Emma is so clueless and I really need someone to help me with the dresses and all."

Emma shot a dagger-glare at Regina. "I wasn't clueless, I was even… ouch!" Emma yelped in pain after being kicked by her son in the shin. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Shut up." The boy hissed quietly at his blonde mother and held his finger to his lips to shush her. Emma quickly shut her mouth and peered over her shoulder to look at the two brunettes.

Regina was excitedly pulling Mary-Margaret into another room where all the dresses were displayed. "I really wanted to show you these dazzling dresses. I am sure you and Kathryn would look great in them."

"Oh really, I have to see them then." Mary squealed as the two women disappeared into the room.

"Wow, it was totally a disaster." Emma slumped on the couch, took a deep breath and rested her head against the back. The blonde could sense that someone was looking at her, so she turned her face to look at her son. The boy had a proud grin on his face at her and the blonde rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"What the he… what was that for?"

"Were you going to kiss mom just now?"

"What?" The blonde shot up in a sitting position and glowered at her son. The boy laughed out loud at his mother upon noticing that her face was turning crimson red.

"So I guess Operation Swan Queen is a go?" The boy beamed at his mother brightly.

"Aren't you supposed to be grounded, kid?"

"I think mom and everyone else has forgotten about it. They're all too distracted with your presence in the town, I guess." Emma scoffed at her son's assertive explanation. "So, where are you going with mom tomorrow? Can I go with you two?"

"Such a clam-jammer." Emma mumbled under her breath.

"What?"

"Oh, you don't want to know, kid. It's a pretty nasty and dirty word. Your ears will bleed." Emma said nonchalantly and the boy growled in disgust. "You are weird, kid."

"I get that from you," The kid replied and Emma scowled at him as she mouthed a 'wow'. "So, Emma, come on! Tell me! Where are you going tomorrow?"

"After what had happened just now, I really wanted to crawl into a cave and hide there for a year."

"That's not it. Don't you two used to have your favorite place to hang around right after school or something?"

"Yeah, I suppose we used to have that kind of place…" Emma said slowly but suddenly she turned her face to look at her son. "How do you know, kid?" The blonde looked at her son in doubt. "I mean, did Daniel tell you that too?"

"I don't know. Maybe." The boy just shrugged his mother off and slumped on the couch, playing with his hands.

"Oh no, you don't get to ignore me now, kid." Emma glared at the boy. "What else do you know about me and your mom and Daniel even? How do you know where to find me? Come on, spit it all out!"

"Those are secrets." Henry avoided his mother's gaze.

"Hey, those are not secrets. I am your mother." Emma said to the boy with a whispering tone as she did not want Mary to hear them. "I deserve to know what my son is up to."

"No, I can't tell you unless Operation Swan Queen is officially a go. I bring you back here because I want you to bring happy endings to mom and everyone else, so you need to figure it out yourself. You're a detective after all." The boy said insistently while looking right into Emma's eyes.

"You did not just tell me that, kiddo." The detective looked at her son in disbelief. "By the way, what do you mean by 'everyone else'? Who are you talking about?" The blonde kept on glaring at her son who was just shrugging her off. Emma realized that there was no way that her 10-year-old son could ever figure out how to get to his estranged mother in New York all by himself. The detective started to figure out the person who would be her son's probable accomplice. Daniel would be the best accomplice but it seemed pretty much impossible at that moment. Could it be David? The man could be thoughtless sometimes but there was no way that the sheriff would let a little boy to go travelling across the country alone. How about Cora? The lady made herself clear when she said that she could not find Emma after the blonde gave birth to Henry and ran away from Storybrooke. The Mayor's wife would probably drag the young detective back home using her bare hands if the lady knew where to find Emma. So, can it be Regina? _Operation Swan Queen? No way in hell!_

"Hey, Operation Swan Queen is not your idea, right?" Henry was startled by Emma's sudden question.

"It is my idea!"

"No, I know that you're not doing this alone. So who is you accomplice?" The blonde placed both of her hands on the boy's shoulder as she stared down on her son. Henry looked at her mother nervously and tried hard to seal his mouth.

"Emma, what are you doing to Henry? You did not just have a fight with a little boy in a bridal boutique because if that was the case, NYPD really have to consider getting a replacement for your position." Emma promptly pulled her hands from her son when she heard Regina's voice. The brunette walked into the lounge and she had already changed into her fitted red dress. Emma felt like her lips became dry out of sudden when she looked at her fiery friend.

"We we're not fighting." Emma chuckled anxiously as she slowly nudged her son on his elbow, asking for help.

"Yeah mom, we were just playing around." Henry said with an adorable witty expression while Regina eyed at Emma and Henry with a doubtful look.

"It is so strange to see you and Henry being so close together. I mean, Henry seems to know Emma so well." Mary suddenly appeared, interrupting the three of them. Henry's gaze darted from his blonde mother to the brunette one, noticing the lack of explanation from both of his mothers.

"Well, mom and dad told me all about Emma. Emma is so weird that it is so easy to get along with her." Henry said innocently, receiving a dagger-glare from Emma while Regina tried to hide her smile. "Mom, come on. Let's get some ice cream!" Henry stood up and ran over to his brunette mother leaving his confused blonde mother on the couch. The boy excitedly pulled his mother's hands to quickly get away from the awkward situation. "You too, Miss Nolan!" He said to Mary when he noticed that the pixie-haired brunette was still looking at Emma thoughtfully.

"Well, okay. I'm still on a diet but I guess a little bit of ice cream once a while won't hurt." Mary said as she followed Regina and her son. Both Regina and Henry laughed at the nosy woman as they all walked out of the lounge. Emma was so relieved that she let out a breath she was not aware she had been holding.

"Henry, are you forgetting Emma?" Regina asked her son while walking hand-in-hand with him to the boutique's door.

"Nah, she'll find her way."

The blonde stood up lazily from the couch, still processing what Henry had told her earlier. She recalled Regina's expression when the brunette was wearing her wedding dress. Emma noticed the bliss on Regina's face but it was not enough to convince her that the brunette was totally happy. The blonde ran her fingers through her hair exasperatedly when she realized that she was unable to forget the way Regina looked in her wedding dress ever. _Damn it, I'm so screwed._

The detective also was so troubled by the fact that there was a person who had been helping Henry with his little operation. She just kept questioning who in the right mind would go to such extent to include a child in stopping someone's wedding? Obviously, that particular person knew about Emma's feelings towards Regina and that really gave the blonde a chill. For some reasons, Emma was hoping that Regina would be that particular person but of course it seemed irrelevant. Emma sighed deeply as she covered her face with her hands.

 _How do I give a happy ending to everyone when I am not happy?_

And all you want is something I can't be

All you want from me is what you need

And now I'm saying I don't know

You take it so slowly

And your eyes look so lonely

But it's only when you think about me


	5. I Feel Like I Belong

**HELD ONTO YOU**

Rachel Platten - Better Place

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

I see the whole world in your eyes

It's like I've known you all my life

We just feel so right

So I pour my heart into your hands

It's like you really understand

You love the way I am

"Good morning, Ems!" Ruby greeted the blonde with a cheery smile. Emma, on the other hand could not believe that she had spent another night in the town. Granny Lucas even allowed the blonde to stay in her Bed and Breakfast without any charge. She despised herself for deciding to stay in the town for a little while especially since Regina's wedding was just around the corner. However, she really needed to know who was the person involved in Henry's little scheme.

"Hey Rubes."

"So, what were you up to with Regina yesterday?" Ruby winked mischievously at Emma.

"I don't know what you're saying, Ruby."

"Oh yeah?" Ruby gave Emma a suspicious glare as she placed a cup of hot cocoa in front of the brunette. "I saw both of you walked around the town while making eyes at each other. It was so tense and so fun to watch all in the same time."

"We did not make eyes to each other and what do you mean by so fun to watch?" Emma huffed exasperatedly. "How long have you been stalking us?"

"Oh please!" Ruby said with a dramatic eyes roll. "The whole town saw both of you together being all cute and romantic. It doesn't have to be stalked. In fact, it can be seen from the outer space. Gosh, I am so jealous. She never asked me to go out with her." Emma saw the perverted sneer on Ruby's face.

"I'm so gonna punch you on the face."

"Hey, I'm just being happy for you and of course I am so fucking jealous of you too." Ruby let go an evil laughter while Emma glowered at her friend. The detective looked at the tall brunette with a wary look. She was wondering if Ruby was the possible person to be Henry's accomplice. After all, Ruby always seemed to be so supportive of the idea of Emma and Regina together ever since they were in high school. She was the one of those who kept pushing the blonde to admit her feelings towards Regina.

"Hey, are you planning something with Henry?" Emma looked into her friend's eyes, trying to carefully read her expressions.

"What plan?" The brunette seemed to be so indifferent while she was cleaning some glasses behind the counter with a cloth.

"You know, I mean something like a mission." The detective moved her hands around as if she was trying to give hints to the waitress. "An operation related to a wedding or something."

"Regina's wedding? What about it?"

"Oh come on, Ruby! Just tell me!" Emma said desperately.

"Tell you what, bitch?" Ruby scoffed at her troubled friend.

"Operation Swan Queen!"

"What the fuck is that supposed to be?"

"You never heard of it?"

"No dumbo! What is that, Swan?" The tall brunette stopped cleaning the glasses and looked at her friend with a quizzical face. "Wait, Operation Swan Queen and related to a wedding. What are you trying to say, Ems?" Ruby beamed at Emma.

"Henry wanted me to stop Regina wedding." Emma said dejectedly. "I am just looking for a person who has been helping him."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, he even named it as Operation Swan Queen. How about that?"

"Wow, I can totally relate it to the both of you." Ruby nodded her head in anticipation. "You know what? I'm in!"

"What? No! Ruby! You can't be in! We're not gonna do anything to the wedding. I'm not stopping anyone's wedding. Not Regina's!" Emma said in frustration and Ruby noted the frown of hesitancy on her friend's face. "The wedding is supposed to be her greatest moment and I can't take that away, Rubes."

"Oh Emma, you really love her."

"What? No! I mean, yeah! You know what, I'm just gonna shut up." The blonde huffed. "I'm not stopping her wedding anyway." Ruby laughed when she noticed the slight tinge of red on the blonde's cheeks.

"Okay fine, relax girl! So, what do you know about this person who has been helping Henry with his operation? What made you think that there is someone else behind the so-called operation beside Henry?"

"I have no idea at all, Rubes. I know there is someone else because Henry seems to know a lot about me and my past with Regina and Daniel. Someone has been telling him stories."

"What are you talking about? I bet that Regina and even Daniel talked about you a lot when they told Henry about their old stories. You guys were like the best of friends ever, clinging all the way together. I bet that you're there in every picture of those two." Ruby explained to her friend with a small grin while pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Fine, but how do you explain Henry finding me in New York? How on earth did he find me when everyone else failed to do so? His accomplice knows so much about me. He refused to tell me a thing!"

"Yeah, I still don't get that part of your story. Why did he choose you? Why of all people, Henry wanted you to stop Regina's wedding?"

"Oh man, this is getting so complicated." The blonde sighed as she placed her hands on her face, covering it in them.

"Try me." The brunette said assertively.

"Do you know that Henry is actually adopted?"

"The whole town knows about it."

"Well, here's the catch… But I need you to keep it as a secret."

"Sure." Ruby said eagerly.

"No, I mean it. You gotta keep the secret to yourself. Hold it to your dear life, because I will kill you if it ever got out!" Emma hissed at her friend and looked around to make sure that there was no one else around them.

"Fine, fine. Lips are sealed." Ruby rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee.

"I am Henry's birthmother." Emma whispered at her friend and it sent Ruby into a fit of cough with her coffee splattered all over the counter. The detective was so relieved that she had a good reflex to avoid Ruby's spits but then she noticed that the other patrons in the diner were looking at her direction. "Hey, keep it down will ya?" Emma gave a pat on her friend's arm.

"What the fuck? Keep it down? Are you serious?" Ruby raised her voice at Emma as she sent a death-glare at the latter. The blonde frantically placed a finger on her lips, signaling Ruby to keep her voice down. The tall brunette realized that she had been dragging the whole diner's attention to herself and she could sense that her grandma was staring at her from the kitchen. Thus, the brunette cleared her throat and quickly wiped the splattered coffee on the counter table. "What do you mean by his birthmother? When did you give birth to anyone?"

"Well, when was the last time you saw me and what is Henry's age? You do the math." Ruby looked at her friend hesitantly at first until she realized something and her eyes widened at the blonde.

"After that prom drama, I hardly saw you in school. You were there during the graduation day but you and your mother were gone few weeks after that."

"Yeah, the prom drama. Something like that." Emma shrugged off.

"Hey, come on. You gotta tell me more. All these years I thought that you were just running away from Regina and Daniel but I really didn't get why your mother had to leave the town as well. So, now I know!"

"Rubes, I really don't want to talk about all those shits right now. Even David and Mary-Margaret have no idea about this." Emma shook her head and she sighed. "All that really matter to me right now is to find this person who is responsible for helping out Henry in his little operation and I really need to know their motives."

"Wow, what a detective." Ruby said with a scornful tone.

"Of course, Ruby. I can't just leave this town when I know that my son will go running around the state looking for me again. That is way too dangerous for him. So, I need to get to this person who had instilled some ideas into my son and resolve it before going back to my place."

"So, that's it?"

"What?"

"You are just staying in the town to find a person, punch him on the face and then leave the town again. That's about it?" Ruby said as she crossed her arms across her chest. "You're not staying for Regina's wedding and you're not even going to tell her about your feeling after all these years?" Ruby scoffed at the blonde dramatically.

"Ruby, I really don't want to talk about that right now."

"Fine, I'm done, for now. You can't get away from this, from me!" Emma laughed at her friend. "Hey, I mean it. Stay in the town for few more nights. Tomorrow night at Rabbit-Hole, we're having a little get-together with everyone. I'm sure as heck that you want to be there."

"Huh, Tuesday night gathering? That is so weird and what makes you so sure?"

"I'm sure because the queen of yours will be there too, getting drunk with the rest of our former high school friends and oh, yeah, all of her old flames will be there." Ruby winked at her friend and the brunette's words had stirred rage within the blonde.

* * *

"Ugh, I knew you're going to choose chocolate and apple. Isn't that too cliché, Reggie?" A long red-haired woman rambled in dismay. She was sitting on a dining chair in the Mills' dining room while flipping through a folder of Regina's wedding checklist. "You know I can't stand the smell of chocolate lately, but you know what? It's your wedding anyway so go for it." She kept on rambling before she peered up to look at her brunette sister who was sitting across from her. Then, the red-haired woman noticed the empty gaze on her younger sister's face. She raised an eyebrow when she realized that Regina had been ignoring her the whole time. The woman then raised the folder and slammed it hard on the dinner table causing a loud thud sound in the room, promptly shattering Regina's daze.

"What the hell was that for, Zelena?!" The brunette snapped at her older sister.

"And what is wrong with you? I was like talking to myself in case you did not notice a bit!" Zelena retorted and Regina looked at her sister confoundedly.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about something."

"Mom is not here yet, so shoot, now!"

"What?

"Oh come on. I know that face, Reg. I've seen it so many freakin times before and it is an 'I have a crush on this guy but I don't know if he felt the same way about me' kind of face." Zelena said dramatically and Regina rolled her eyes at her sister. "Now, tell me. Is it has something to do with the other mother of your son?" A mischievous grin formed on Zelena's face while Regina's eyes widened at her sister.

"What the hell… shut it, Zee!"

"You're blushing dear sister." Zelena said nonchalantly.

"I'm getting married in six days!"

"And you don't seem like you're interested in any way." Zelena chuckled softly when Regina opened her mouth a few times but not a word came out of it. "Cat got your tongue?" The red-haired woman said mockingly. "Hey, it is not wrong to have second thoughts. I mean I have it all the time even when I'm already married to Robin and have a child with him. Gosh, I don't know what I was thinking. I think we were both so drunk and stupid I guess."

"Zee, I don't want to hear another story of your blunt marriage or what so ever."

"Okay, fine. Do you remember my pre-wedding rendezvous with that guy from…"

"From so-called hell. Yeah, and I don't want to hear that one as well."

"Oh my dear heart! That was the best night ever and I will never ever going to forget that!" Zelena beamed at her sister.

"I'm forgetting it and are you still seeing that guy?" Regina narrowed her eyes at her sister suspiciously.

"Well, we still had a few encounters but…"

"Oh Lord, Zelena! What are you thinking? You're a mother and a doctor!" Zelena rolled her eyes as she sighed heavily.

"Oh come on, Reg. My job etiquette and my child have nothing to do with the guy." Zelena said before reaching her hands out to her sister and placed her hands over her sister's. "Listen, what I'm trying to say is that you don't want to be like me. You don't do things to please others. This is a marriage and you are supposed to be true to each other and to love and cherish each other until death do you part. And trust me, I don't really feel like it every single day I'm living my life with Robin." Zelena sighed. "Oh don't look at me like that. I have my baby and I'm not regretting of having her at all. She's my sun and my all. But I'm telling you this, please don't do the same mistake as I am. I just want to see you happy." Zelena held her sister's hands firmly and Regina gave a warm smile at her sister.

"Thanks Zee."

"I'm just doing what a sister should do to her little sister who is so ridiculously in love with a certain blonde detective from New York."

"What! No! I'm not in love with… Shut the fuck up, Zee!" Regina yelled at the top of her lungs as she pulled her hands from her sisters and Zelena laughed loudly when she saw her sister's face was turning crimson red.

"Okay, girls. Enough with the teases. Marian is here and we have a wedding plan to be finalized." Cora walked into the room with her grandson who was looking at his mother and his aunt curiously.

"I still don't get it. Of all the wedding planners in this town, why do you have to choose Marian, again, mother?" Zelena huffed.

"Because she is the best and we only do best, sweetheart." Cora said as she gently placed her hand on Regina's shoulder. "Anyway Regina, little Henry here said that you are going out with him and Emma today. Is it true? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Well, that is… Emma asked me to go out with her… and Henry as well. But I said no because of the final arrangement and all today, so…"

"Oh come on, mom! Let's go out with Emma for a while. You have been doing this for like ever." Henry protested.

"Wow, Emma asked you to go out with her, huh? That sounds like a lovely family outing." Zelena said with a sly smile while Regina rolled her eyes. Cora looked at her daughters and a small knowing smile formed on her face.

"Yeah, mom!" Henry said excitedly, agreeing with his aunt.

"Yes, it sounds lovely indeed, Regina. Why don't you just go out with Emma today? Zelena and I can manage this." Cora interrupted and Regina looked at her mother with rounded eyes.

"But mom…"

"My dear, you deserve some rest before your own wedding. Go out. Have fun with your son." Cora said as she gave a gentle reassuring pat on Regina's shoulder. Regina peered up to look at her sister who smiled at her heartwarmingly. The brunette returned the smile before turned to face Cora and nodded with a small smile on her lips.

* * *

The blonde drove her car slowly on the main road of Storybrooke while humming a song softly, not realizing that Regina was looking at her. "Why can't you two just tell me where we're heading to?" Regina looked at the blonde before turning her face to look at her son. Henry quickly looked at his blonde mother.

"You look great in jeans, Regina." Emma said as she glanced at the brunette, noticing the tight pair of jeans on Regina.

"Eyes on the road, Emma." Regina said in an authoritative tone but the brunette could feel the heat that was creeping up her cheeks.

"Your wish is my command, your majesty." Emma snickered at the annoyed brunette. The blonde also noticed through the rear-view mirror that her son was holding two thumbs up at his blonde mother. The blonde smiled mischievously at her son.

"What are you smiling at, Emma?" Regina tilted her head and raised her eyebrows as she asked the blonde. Emma turned to face Regina and smiled knowingly.

"You'll see." She said as she turned her face to the road again and Regina rolled her eyes at the blonde's response. Somehow, the brunette could actually guess the destination that they were heading to but she seemed to be enjoying the adorable gestures of the duo to surprise her.

* * *

"We're here!" The boy said cheerfully. The brunette's guess was right. The bug came to a stop in front of the entrance to the largest ranch in Storybrooke owned by the Mills. Henry quickly went out of the bug, leaving his mothers in it. The boy immediately walked through the entrance of the ranch and headed straight to the stable. The blonde got out of her car followed by the brunette right afterwards.

"I am impressed that you actually remember this place."

"Well, it was our favorite spot after all." Emma smirked smugly.

"I don't quite remember it that way, though. I thought that you hated this place so much especially after the fall."

"Nah, that was one time. It never stopped me from coming here. I came here even when I was supposed to be grounded." Both of them chuckled at those thoughts. Emma recalled that she really enjoyed hanging out at the meadows with Regina and Daniel. She loved seeing Regina's bright smile when the brunette was riding her favorite horse, Rocinante.

"You almost broke your ribs if I remember correctly."

"But I lived." The young detective said with a proud looking expression. "So, shall we go in?" The blonde offered her hand to Regina and the brunette eyed her expectantly.

"It's okay, dear. I can definitely find my way here." The brunette replied dryly as she walked past the blonde, ignoring the offered hand. However, Emma noticed the tinge of pink on the brunette cheeks.

"Okay, serve you, your Majesty." Emma chuckled and quickly followed her friend towards the ranch's entrance.

"So, do tell me, Emma. Why are we here?"

"Well, your Majesty, we are here because you're going to teach me how to ride a horse." There was a silly grin plastered on the blonde's face and the brunette looked at her in horror.

"You are a defiant student and you knew how to ride a horse already, Emma!"

"I forgot, Regina." Emma said nonchalantly as she led the other woman to the stable.

"You can't just simply forget how to ride a horse. It's like driving a car or a bug." Regina rolled her eyes and Emma laughed at the adorable gesture.

"Well, I don't usually go to work by riding a horse or chase a criminal on a stallion."

"Emma!" The blonde turned around to find her brunette friend stood still with her arms crossed over her chest. "I haven't ridden in a while now. Scratch that, I haven't ridden for years." Regina frowned and tried to look away from the blonde's gaze.

"I know, Regina." Emma smiled knowingly at her friend as she walked up to the brunette. "So, have you forgotten how to ride a horse too?" The blonde stepped into Regina's personal space and gently took both of the brunette's hands into hers. Regina was so surprised by Emma's affectionate act but in the same time she was also offended by the blonde's question.

"Excuse me, Emma. I am not some cocky detective from a big city who simply forgot how to ride a horse. Of course I haven't forgotten how to ride a horse." The brunette snapped but she was still standing closely to the blonde and made no effort to pull her hands from the taller woman.

"Yeah, so I figured." Emma snickered at the brunette's response. "So, since we have already concluded all of our questions, can we get in there now?"

"Fine, Emma." The brunette grumbled.

"Great! You're so gonna thank me later, Gina. Let's go." Emma placed her hands into Regina, locked their fingers together as she effortlessly pulled the smaller woman towards the entrance of the stable. Regina could not help noticing the soothing warmth in the blonde's hands.

"And why would I want to thank you, dear?"

"Trust me." Emma said with a reassuring look on her face that she used to give to Regina whenever the brunette got worried or scared when they were younger. Regina huffed before smiling warmly at her friend. For some reasons, the brunette felt so content and safe with the blonde's presence. She held the blonde's hands firmly and Emma stole a glance at their entwined hands.

The two women walked into the stable when they were greeted by a familiar voice. "Hello ladies, what can I do to help you?"

"Marco!" Emma beamed at the man.

"Polo!" The man replied and the two friends laughed at that. Marco Booth had been working at the Mills' ranch for years. Marco and Henry Mills Sr. had been good friends ever since they were young and the mayor trusted Marco to manage his vast properties. Marco even taught Regina to ride a horse when the brunette was just a little girl and then after a while, he was introduced to the little rascally Emma Swan by Regina.

"So, the rumor is true. The little swan is back and she has soared into a fine lady here." The old man walked up to the two women and shook Emma's hand. "And hello there little Miss Mills, the beautiful bride to be." Regina smiled at the man coyly before hugging him. Emma however felt like hurling upon hearing the word 'bride'.

"It's nice to see you too, Marco." Emma said interrupting the man because she really did not want to hear any possible wedding joke that might come.

"Oh yes, I definitely glad to see you again, little swan. To what do I owe the honor of the presence of these beautiful ladies?"

"Well, our Emma here really would like to learn on how to ride a horse." The blonde tried to ignore the tingling sensation in her stomach when she heard the word 'our Emma'.

"Don't you know how to ride already, Emma?" The man stared at the blonde with a questioning look.

"Sadly, she forgot." Regina replied with a cynical tone while Emma grinned foolishly at the man.

"Well, that is a bit odd but I think it is not impossible as well." The man sighed while the blonde looked at Regina with a self-righteous look.

"Yeah, it is not impossible to forget how to ride a horse, Regina." The brunette rolled her eyes for the hundredth times on that day while the old man laughed at the two women. "Now, come with me. The little prince is waiting for you two." The man said as he walked towards the horse stalls followed by the two women.

Both Emma and Regina followed the man, walking through the stalls until they saw their son in a riding gear. The boy was standing in front of one of the stalls and Emma noticed that there was a familiar man standing beside him. The boy smiled cheerily upon seeing his mothers and walked up to them. "Hey moms… I mean, mom and Emma." Henry quickly corrected himself when Marco looked at him confusedly and both of his moms glared at him.

"Oh Henry, you are so handsome!" Regina complimented her son while pulling the boy into a hug.

"Yeah kid, but I am so not wearing that headgear or helmet or whatever you're calling it." Emma said in disgust and the boy glowered at his blonde mother.

"Are you sure that you're not going to wear it, Emma? I bet that you can be as handsome as Henry then." The familiar young man approached the two women with a shrewd smile on his face. Emma's eyes widened upon recognizing the man.

"Damn, is that really you, August Booth?"

"Hey there to you too, Swan." The man shook the blonde's hand before pulling the woman into a hug. "God, you're still beautiful, girl."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, August. And you're still as annoying as ever." The blonde pulled herself from the hug and shrugged the man off. August laughed loudly at his old friend's exasperated look.

The man then turned to face Regina and her son. "Hi Regina, it's been quite some time since I last see you here. You're looking as gorgeous as ever." August grinned at the brunette as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"Hi, it's nice to see you too, August." The brunette raised one of her eyebrows at him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, I think that I haven't congratulated you yet, have I?" The young man stole a glance at the blonde mischievously before enveloping the brunette in a tight embrace. Speechless, Regina was taken by surprise by August's sudden act. "Congratulation, gorgeous! Gosh, you always smell so good, Regina." The man let out a soft moan as he took in Regina's scent.

"Wow, okay, thank you!" Regina quickly placed her hands on the man's chest and gently pushed the man away from her while Emma promptly walked towards the two of them with a disgusted expression.

"Yeah, August! Thank you very much!" Emma said as she eyed the man warily. August could not help laughing at the detective's protective stance.

"Mom, let's go now!" The two women turned their face at the direction of their son's voice. Henry was following Marco as they walked into one of the horse stalls.

"I'm coming, dear." Regina called out to her son before looking back at her two friends. "Now, if you'll excuse me, guys. My son is calling me already so I'll be seeing you guys later." The brunette walked hurriedly towards her son before stopping after a few steps and turned around to look at her two friends again. "By the way, both of you please restraint yourselves from getting into any trouble at all."

"Your wish is my command, your Majesty." Both Emma and August replied simultaneously in a childish manner. Regina sighed deeply and left the two friends grinning idiotically at themselves. Once Regina was out of their sights, Emma punched her friend on his chest as hard as she could. The man yelped in pain.

"What the hell was that, dude?!"

"What? I should be the one asking you! That was so fucking painful. When did you grow to be so strong?"

"Hah! So funny! Seriously, you always smell so good? What the hell was that even? You can't just sniff a lady like that!" The blonde said exasperatedly while August laughed out loud.

"Hey, Emma…" The man snickered at the blonde and Emma really felt like punching the man in the face. "Do you still have the hots For Regina?" At that moment, the blonde could feel the heat that was creeping up her face and she punched the man again on his chest.

"God, Emma! You gotta stop throwing blows on anyone's chest!"

"Yeah, and you gotta stop being an asshat." The man tried to stop himself from laughing because it only exaggerated his pain. "Damn it, I shouldn't come back to this town. I shouldn't stay here even for another day. I should have left last night." The woman quickly walked through the stalls, leaving her dumbfounded friend behind. August then ran after the woman and grabbed her by the wrist. The blonde quickly pulled her hand harshly from the man's grasp.

"Woah, chill girl! I'm so sorry. I am an asshat." Emma scoffed at the man. "I mean it. I'm sorry that you have to get through this once again. You know, seeing her with another person again." Emma peered up to look at her friend and the man was looking at her knowingly with sad blue eyes. The blonde sighed heavily and continued walking through the stalls until she reached the other exit of the stable. August walked beside her in silence and they stood by each other when they got out of the stable. They gazed at the wide field in front of them where Henry was riding a black pony followed by Regina who was riding a brown stallion. Emma saw the radiant genuine smile on Regina's face that the blonde had been longing to see for years.

"Hey, I am sorry for punching you just now and for all of the rambling."

August looked at his friend and laughed. "Nah, don't worry about it." Then their eyes were fixed at the mother and son on the field. "Frankly, I think that you made the right decision by taking your time to stay here, Emma. Look at her, I've never seen her so happy like that since… forever." The blonde looked at the brunette and Emma just could not stop smiling. Regina was laughing adorably and it really reminded Emma of their childhood. "And I bet she makes you happy too. I mean, look at your perverted silly grin now." Emma gave August a death-glare but she silently agreed with August's words. She had never been this happy.

August gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder. "Listen, Emma. I may not be the right person to give you an advice, but if I were Daniel, I wanted my best friend to find happiness and… love again." The man said as he walked up onto the field. "I know you will do the right thing." August gave the blonde an assuring smile before running towards the mother-son duo. Emma looked at her friend and wondered if August was Henry's accomplice.

Emma then stared into the distance, wishing that she could make the right decision for once in her life.

Now I'm alright

Everything's alright

Cause it feels like I've opened my eyes again

And the colors are golden and bright again

There's a song in my heart, I feel like I belong

It's a better place since you came along


	6. Tripping on Words

**HELD ONTO YOU**

Listening to You and Me by Lifehouse

 **I ain't a write. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right

I'm tripping on words

You got my head spinning

I don't know where to go from here

 _Flashback._

 _Ruby and August looked at their blonde friend excitedly from the diner's counter as Emma walked up to Regina who was sitting in one of the booths with Mary-Margaret and Kathryn. The Storybrooke High's superstar had finally mustered up her courage to ask Regina to be her prom date._

" _Hey Emma!" Regina merrily greeted her best friend upon seeing the blonde. The other two girls turned their attention towards Emma and the blonde noticed the joy on each of their faces._

" _Hey to you too." Emma chuckled nervously as she started to feel butterflies in her stomach. "What are you girls up to?"_

" _We were talking about the prom. Why don't you come and sit with us, Emma?" Mary-Margaret said in a jovial voice as she made a hand gesture to an empty seat next to Regina._

" _Yeah, about the prom… in fact…" Emma, the outspoken badass swan found herself to be struggling to find the right words in front of her dream girl. "I need to talk to Regina…" Regina's eyes widened as she peered up to look at Emma whose cheeks were turning red and she even had a hesitant look on her face. "Something about the prom…"_

" _Oh My God, Emma! It finally happened!" Mary-Margaret suddenly interrupted the blonde and Regina promptly tried to hush her gleeful friend._

" _Wait, Mary…!"_

" _Daniel asked Regina to be his prom date!"_

" _What?" Emma asked in an undecipherable tone and Regina noticed the glimpse of hurt on the blonde's face._

" _The two love birds are finally together and we've been waiting forever for this moment to come." Kathryn said happily and Mary-Margaret was agreeing to her._

" _Wow, that's great, Regina." It came out so unconvincingly soft. Emma finally managed to say something at last but it was something that she never meant to say at all. Regina could not help noticing the wretched smile on Emma's face and it really broke the brunette's heart._

 _Emma was about to turn around and walkaway when Regina called her up. "Emma, you said that you wanted to talk to me about the prom. What was it about?" Regina was standing up as she looked intensely into green eyes._

" _Well, I just want to tell you that I won't go to the prom. I'm going to the band tournament. I just hope that you can come and see me there during my jam." Emma replied dryly, trying as hard as she could to prevent the tears that were threatening to fall._

" _You can't be serious, Emma." Regina did not even take her eyes off the blonde while Emma averted her gaze away from the brunette._

" _I am really serious about this shit. After all, what is so thrilling about some stupid high-school prom?" Emma said to her best friend in a mocking tone._

" _What are you saying?" Regina could not believe that Emma could say such thing to her._

" _Well, yeah. You heard me, your Majesty. I am not going to that fucking prom because everyone else is going. But, Daniel and you can still have all the fun that you want there." The blonde then noticed that Regina's eyes were glistened with tears. She felt a pang of guilt right away and tried to avoid looking at those sad brown eyes._

" _Hey, what is going on here?" August and Ruby went to approach the group of girls when they saw that there was a fuss going on among them._

" _Our superstar here thought that she is too good to be true." Kathryn said with both of her hands on her hip. Regina knew that she needed to say something to make things right but she was too speechless to say even a word. She had never seen her usually lighthearted best friend to be as ferocious as she was at that time._

" _Emma, what are you doing?" Ruby asked the blonde bewilderedly. "Aren't you going to…"_

" _For the last time…" Emma raised her voice stridently and the whole diner was looking at her. "I am saying that I am not going to that pathetic prom!" The blonde then hastily turned around and ran over to the diner's door. She stole a glance at Regina and green eyes met with glinted brown orbs before she finally remorsefully left the diner._

" _Emma wait!" Regina called out as she tried to chase her best friend but was stopped by Mary-Margaret and all of her other friends._

* * *

 _The blonde stomped her way to the Storybrooke Library and there were tears rolling down her cheeks. The young woman wiped her tears away when she was already in front of the said building. She pushed the door to the library and went in there as she bewilderedly looking for a familiar face. She walked all over the library, looking for a particular person._

" _Hey Emma, what are you looking for?" Lacey, one of regular occupants of the library asked Emma when the girl noticed that the blonde had been wandering around in the library aimlessly._

" _Did you see Daniel?" The brown-haired girl noticed the grouchy look on the blonde's face and she could feel that something bad was about to happen._

" _I think… I think he just went out. He had a phone call just now." Lacey said and found herself to be stuttered for no reason._

" _Of course." Emma muttered before turning around and walked towards the library's exit. Then, right about that moment, Daniel walked into the library. Furious green eyes met with troubled blue eyes._

" _What the hell, Daniel?!" Emma walked up to her friend and yelled at the top of her lungs, dragging the whole library's attention to the two friends. "Nice job fooling me, dude!"_

" _Emma, we're still in the library. Why don't we talk outside…"_

" _Yeah, Mr. Good Guy, always trying to be so fucking all nice or was that just another stupid act of yours?"_

" _Emma, calm down, just hear me first…" Daniel slowly approached his friend, trying to talk her down._

" _No, you listen to me, you bastard!" Emma shoved him on his chest with her hands, making the boy stumbled back. "I don't need your hopeful speech shit and you should say your prayer now because you can have all of her for the stupid prom!"_

" _Get yourself together, Emma!" Daniel noticed that everyone in the library was looking at them. The brown haired boy then walked out of the library to avoid the unnecessary commotion, leaving the ill-tempered blonde behind._

 _Emma immediately followed Daniel closely and grabbed him by the wrist as she crudely pulled him back. "Hey, I haven't done with you!"_

" _Emma, what did you say to Regina?" The usually level-headed boy could not stand the blonde's thoughtless act anymore._

" _Fuck you! Why do you care about what I said to that stuck-up girlfriend of yours! What about you? What did you say to her?!"?_

" _That's it. We're done talking here. Maybe you should stay away from her. Regina deserves so much better than your idiotic…" Daniel could not finish his sentence as Emma's fist struck him hard on his jaw, which threw him off-balance and landed on the ground. Daniel groaned in pain as soon as he was on the ground and he held his sored jaw._

 _Emma's eyes widened upon realizing her own action. She felt so wrong but deep inside she also felt so self-satisfied and that made her felt even guiltier. "Feeling so much better now?" Daniel asked in a scornful tone as he looked at his friend._

" _Daniel!" Suddenly, both of them heard footsteps coming towards them. Daniel looked around and saw Regina along with August, Kathryn and Mary-Margaret running towards them. Regina had a frantic look on her and Daniel sighed heavily. All of them quickly surrounded the boy on the ground, asking whether he was fine. Emma was so flabbergasted until her gaze fixed on Regina. The brunette was looking intensely into Emma's eyes and she slowly walked up to the blonde._

 _Emma wished that she could say something but before she could even think of anything at all, Regina slapped her across her face. "You're an idiot, Emma!"_

 _Emma took a glance on the brunette, her cheek was burnt with pain but it was not as painful as her heartache when she noticed the tears in the brunette's eyes. The blonde then turned around and ran away as fast as she could. Away from her loved ones. And she had been running away ever since._

* * *

"Emma, what are you thinking about?" The brunette's voice pulled the blonde out of her trance. The blonde who was lying down on the grass looked up to find her friend sitting next to her. "You said that you wanted to learn to ride a horse and here you are lying down under this oak tree."

"Hey, I did ride a horse, didn't I?" Emma pushed herself up to sit.

"Well, you did for less than ten minutes, Emma Swan." The blonde chuckled softly.

"That thing hated me. You saw how that horse was trying to get rid of me as if I am some dark evil creature."

"It did not, Emma. That was just your excuse." They both laughed and Emma really felt so content. There was a moment of comfortable silence as they both took in the view in front of them from their favorite hill top. They could see Henry and August were riding their horses through the meadows.

"This is so good." Emma stretched her body and lay down on the grass again.

"Yes, I really miss this." Regina said quietly but the blonde could hear the brunette. Emma glanced at her friend and noticed the woman's empty gaze.

"Hey." Emma called up her friend and the brunette turned her gaze at her friend. "Why don't you just lie down here for a while?" Emma patted the ground beside her, inviting the brunette to join her. Regina chuckled at the blonde's childish behavior. "Oh come on, we used to do this every day."

The brunette rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Fine." She murmured gruffly before lying down beside the blonde. The brunette positioned herself and lay on her side with her front facing towards Emma. "Why am I listening to you, Swan?"

"You know, I really hate lawyers or attorneys. I don't really work well with them. They always have questions."

"Well, then you really have to make an exception for me and get along with this one lawyer."

"That's more like it." Emma snickered and turned her face to look at the brunette. Radiant green eyes met lustrous brown ones and Emma swore that she could never take her eyes away from the brunette. "Hey, I am sorry." The blonde said quietly, not taking her eyes off the brunette.

"What are you apologizing for, Emma?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry for everything that happened and the thing that never happened."

"If you're talking about the past, well, they're all in the past, Emma. I'm over them." Regina gave her friend a heartening smile and Emma returned the smile. The blonde then glanced at the plump lips in front of her, wishing that she could taste them. _Gosh, what am I thinking? She's getting married, Swan!_ "I am just glad that you're here now, Emma." Regina looked at the blonde warmly and Emma was sure that she was about to melt.

"Yeah, me too."

"Always so eloquent, aren't we, dear?" The brunette giggled and Emma really did not mind hearing those sounds all day long.

"As always." Emma took a deep breath before reaching out and tucked a strand of hair behind Regina's ear. The blonde then placed the palm of her hand against Regina's cheek and caressed the brunette with her thumb affectionately. "I want to stay like this forever." The brunette closed her eyes as she moved her hand towards Emma's hand and held it into hers.

"I wish I could say the same, Emma." She opened her eyes and gazed into Emma's green ones. They stayed silent for a while, staring at each other comfortably as they listened to the soothing sounds of breeze drifted across the meadows.

"It's getting dark soon, we should get moving." Regina said, breaking the comfy silence but she remained steadied on the grass.

"Should we?" Emma replied with her pleading puppy eyes. Regina could not help laughing softly at the blonde's adorable expression.

"Yes, Emma. We should get moving now." The brunette pushed herself to sit and Emma sighed heavily as she turned her back on the ground. "After all, I am going to show you something." Regina said suggestively as she stood up, brushing grass from her back. Emma looked at her friend expectantly, wondering what Regina was up to as she tried hard not to ogle Regina's perfect rounded bottom. "Come on, Emma." The brunette smiled down at Emma and offered her hand to pull the blonde's up off the grass.

 _Oh Lord, please I don't want this day to end!_

* * *

It was almost dark when the blonde drove her car slowly along the gravel road by the lake. Emma slowed down her car when she finally saw a familiar house by the lake.

"It's my mom's summer house." Emma said to no one in particular but Regina nodded as she looked at the blonde. Emma stopped her car right in front of the house's yard and turned off the engine.

"Where are we, mom?" Henry asked his mother. Henry gazed at the two-story log cottage by the lake through the car's window.

"It's my mom's… I mean, it's our summer house, now." The blonde said with a small smile as she looked at Regina and then her son. All three of them walked out of the car and Regina pulled out the keys to the house from her bag.

"You can have these back, Emma. I think you'll need them while you're here in this town." Regina handed Emma those keys and the blonde took them with a hesitant look on her face. "Don't you prefer to have your own place rather than staying in your brother's or Granny's B&B?"

"Thanks Regina." The blonde snickered as she held the keys firmly in her hand while Regina was just nodding her head.

"Wow, this is so cool!" Henry ran to the front porch and took a peep through the house's window. "Why haven't we come here before, mom?" Henry looked at Regina curiously.

"Well, it's because it belongs to Emma's mother so we are not allowed to enter other people's house without their permission, aren't we?" Regina crouched down in front of Henry as she explained to the boy. Henry nodded and he turned to look at his blonde mother.

"Well, now that I am here, you can come here whenever you want." Emma beamed at the boy as she bent down next to Regina and ruffled his hair. "Now, will you do the honor to unlock the door?" The blonde handed over the keys to the boy and Henry chirpily took the keys in his hand.

"Of course, I want to do it!" Henry ran over to the door while both of his moms looked at him warmly.

"Wow, I can't believe this. I mean, look at it. It still looks so good." Emma said as she took in the view of the house.

"Marco helped me to look after the house." Regina said quietly and Emma turned to look at her friend. "Your mother gave the keys to my mother before you… both of you left the town. So, my mother asked Marco to take care of it and he came here at least once or twice in a month for the maintenance in case of, you know, both of you came back." The brunette explained while her gaze was still fixed on the house. The blonde looked at the brunette, wishing that she could say something at that moment.

"Mom, Emma, I got the door open!" Henry called out to his mothers.

"Okay dear, we're coming." Regina said as she smiled at her son and walked up to the front porch. The brunette stopped walking when she noticed that her blonde friend was still standing motionless, staring deeply at the house. "Emma, are you okay?" She asked Emma with a concern tone.

"I'm fine. It's just… Why don't you two go in first?" Emma suggested.

"Are you sure, Emma?"

"Yeah, totally." Emma grinned at the brunette. "I am just gonna take a look around then I'll come in."

"Okay, just tell me if you need anything." The brunette said and the blonde nodded as she gave her friend a reassuring smile. Regina eyed at Emma for a while before entered the house. Emma sighed heavily once her friend was out of sight and she closed her eyes firmly while she tried to recollect the memories of her with her late mother at their summer house. Ingrid had the summer house built after the divorce and both of them spent so much time together at the house especially during the weekends. Regina would usually join them during the summer break at the house and the brunette was very close to Ingrid as well. The blonde recalled that Ingrid used to teach Regina to bake cakes and pastries while the blonde was just hanging around at the kitchen, teasing the brunette and her mother.

The blonde kept walking around the house, noticing how spick-and-span it was. She was glad that her late mother's property was well taken care of and she realized that how the Mills family had been doing so much for her. She then noted the gazebo right by the lake. The three of them used to be hanging out there, gazing at the night sky, the stars and the lake. She used to be playing her guitar as all three of them were singing together there. The blonde chuckled quietly at the thoughts. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

 _Mom, I'm home._

* * *

Emma walked into the house and took in the familiar scent of the house.

"Emma, this house is so awesome. We should spend a night here someday." Henry suddenly came around his blonde mother and hugged her. Emma laughed at her son's excitement.

"Well, I totally don't mind spending so many nights here if your mom doesn't mind at all, kid." The blonde said to her son while glancing mischievously at Regina who was standing right behind the boy. The brunette chuckled knowingly at the two and the boy's eyes darting from his brunette mother to the other.

"I don't mind spending a night here as well, Henry, as long as Emma is with us as well." Regina returned the glance at her friend. The boy beamed at Regina and went to hug her tightly.

"Great mom, can I go upstairs? I want to see the rooms." Henry asked for his mother's permission cheerily.

"Sure, just be careful."

"Okay, mom!" The boy let go of his mother and quickly ran up to the stairs.

"Don't run!" Both Emma and Regina yelled at the boy simultaneously. They turned to look at each other and smiled. Emma realized that how much she was turning into a woman with a maternal comportment within two days and laughed quietly.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Gosh Regina, I'm turning into you… into my mom."

"Not really," Regina said in a mocking tone and the blonde laughed at that. "We both have a long way to go, but I'm here for you if you need help."

"Thanks Regina."

"You have been saying that for so many times today."

"I know and I won't stop saying it, Regina." The blonde then started walking around the in house and she was impressed that the house was so well-kept. "Wow, the house is so nicely kept. I mean, it looks so much better than… before." Emma walked up to the fireplace and studied the old pictures displayed on the fireplace mantel.

"Your mother was a woman with a hectic schedule while you were being you." The brunette smirked at her friend.

"Hey, what do you mean?" Emma glowered at Regina and the latter laughed at the blonde. "You'll be surprised how domestic I am, or maybe how I am gonna be or sort of."

"No doubt, dear." Regina said nonchalantly, earning a glare from the blonde and then she looked through a small bookshelf in the living room. Regina noticed a familiar looking book as she went through the bookshelf and recognized it right away. It was a photo album that she gave to Ingrid many years ago. The brunette took the photo album from the bookshelf and held it in her arms while walking to a couch. She sat on the couch as she crossed her legs, placing the album on her laps and flipped through the pages.

"Hey, I know that. It's my mom's album." Emma noticed and walked over to Regina. She took a seat besides the brunette, tentatively moving closer to her smaller friend, wishing that Regina would not notice her increasing heart beats. "You gave it to my mom on her birthday, I still remember that." Emma said as she gazed through the old pictures of her with her mother and Regina. Regina gave Emma a glance and smiled quietly, feeling pleased that her friend could actually remember something that seemed trivial.

"Yes, you wanted to make a surprise birthday party for her here but you really had no idea what to get for her."

"Yup, and I was like 'Hey, Regina! Please help me!' and there you were, baking cakes and stuffs and you got her this photo album. Gosh, what a prick I was back then."

"And you still are."

"Hey, I'm not that bad." Emma scowled dearly at Regina and the latter could not help snickered at the blonde. The detective then continued to flip through the old album, not noticing that Regina was looking and smiling at her affectionately. "Hey, look at this. We were just babies in our diapers with our mommies." Emma pointed at a picture where Cora and Ingrid were holding their baby-daughters in their arms and Regina chuckled at that. "You were so chubby, look at those cheeks." Emma laughed happily.

"And you couldn't stay still. You were like thrashing around in your mom's arms."

"I was unstoppable, Gina."

"Of course you were, Emma." The brunette said, ignoring the smugly snigger on the blonde's face and flipped the pages of the album.

"Hey wait," Emma stopped the brunette from turning the page. "This one was taken when we were officially met in the kindergarten." Regina noticed how thrilled the blonde was when she looked at their picture. "I still remember that day in the kindergarten, our moms were there and I introduced myself to you, saying something 'Hello, I think I know you but I forgot your name' but you were like 'Nope' and walked away." Emma laughed cheerily when Regina rolled her eyes. "I thought that you were like a little snob."

"And that did not stop you from bothering me every single day back then. I mean, really, you pushed a boy off his chair once because you wanted to sit next to me and nobody ever dared to take your seat ever since that day." Both of them laughed at that thought.

"Well, that was Jeff and he was a jerk."

"Emma, he was five. You were so territorial especially when we were in the playground. You didn't even allow me to go anywhere near the sandbox. You were such a bully!"

"I didn't want you to go in the sandbox because the boys were playing sloppily there. I knew how much you hated being dirty and all."

"What?"

"Come on, Gina. You always dressed up prettily with your little dresses." Emma kept on rambling, while the brunette looked at Emma with a muddled look. "You were like always so adorable with those little ponytails on either side of your head." Regina covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to hold her laughter but soft giggles managed to escape her lips.

"Hey, why are you laughing?" Emma pouted at her friend.

"You could actually remember all of that, Emma?" The blonde then could feel the heat that was creeping up her face. She realized that she was talking too much unnecessarily.

"What about it? They're all in the pictures."

"So, was I always so adorable?" Regina snickered at her friend.

"Well, yeah. No, I mean, no. I mean, you are adorable." The blonde said comically with her hands flailed around, trying to hide the blush that she knew was there. "What the hell, you are not adorable but what I'm trying to say is that you're more beautiful now…" Emma then groaned exasperatedly and slumped on the couch. "I think I should shut up now."

"Yes, most probably you should." Regina shook her head and she could feel her heart was thumping heart in her chest. "You're an idiot." The brunette said as she turned the pages of the album.

"Yeah, so I was told." There was a sly smile plastered on the blonde's face.

"Look at this one, Emma." Regina said, shrugging off the blonde. "I think you are going to love this one." The brunette handed over the album to Emma and the blonde looked at Regina with a quizzical look as she took the album. Emma's eyes widened when she looked at the pictures before her eyes.

"It's Henry." The blonde's voice cracked and she tried hard to hold the tears that were threatening to fall at bay. "He was just a baby."

"Yeah, his first picture when we first brought him home. He was almost a year by that time."

"He was so small."

"Yet so strong." Regina said proudly. "He was such a wonder boy."

"It's is because his mother is a wonder woman." Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's remark. Emma grinned at the brunette. "Well, it's true because I'm talking about you, Gina."

"You're infuriating." Emma laughed but she could not help noticing the tinge of pink on Regina's cheeks.

"So, his name is Henry Daniel Mills." Emma said as she noticed a familiar neat handwriting scripted on one of the pages.

"It's funny, I know. I couldn't think of any better name."

"I know and I like it. If he was with me, I would've named him Donald, Felix or even Bart." Regina scowled at her friend before both of them burst into laughter. Emma was so glad that she managed to lighten up the atmosphere. The blonde was hesitant at first but she gently took Regina's hands into hers and the brunette was caught off guard by her friend's act. "I really mean it. I like the name. It really means a lot to both of us." Emma gave Regina a soothing smile and Regina was so touched by the blonde statements.

"To be frank, I really didn't know if you were ever coming back to this town but I had faith in you, Emma." Emma looked her friend and she was so speechless upon hearing Regina's revelation but she was still holding the brunette's hand. "So, I named him after my father and Daniel because I was hoping that you would come back one day and if you… if you ever going to take him away, at least you'll be reminded of us all, me and Daniel." Regina said as she let go a wretched chuckle.

Emma looked at her friend knowingly and she could fell the tremble in the brunette's hand. So, Emma gave Regina's hand a light squeeze and smiled at the brunette. "Regina, trust me. I won't do that. I won't take away Henry from you. He is your son. You raised him up. He loves you so much."

"Yes, I know but I was so afraid when I first saw you yesterday. My mom kept convincing me that you're not going take Henry away from us. I was so stupid for making such an assumption."

"Hey, you're not being stupid or anything. Who can blame you? I came out of nowhere."

"You know, my mother really like you. She trusted you so much." The blonde's eyes widened and she snickered nervously, hoping that Regina would not notice the nerviness in her voice. "I was wondering what you two were discussing about back then in our reading room."

"Well, we were like talking about something in the past." Regina eyed suspiciously at the blonde.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Henry suddenly came in and interrupted the two women. The blonde was so relieved by the boy's sudden appearance. "Is that me?" Henry saw the old album and took a seat in between his mothers, not noticing the frown on Emma's face. Regina wrapped her arm around the boy's shoulders gently.

"Yes, baby. That little baby was you."

"I was so small."

"And you've gotten bigger now." Emma said as she ruffled the boy now. "Like one heck of a big bird. I could've named you Donald or Daffy back then." Henry looked at his blonde mother with a cranky face.

"Well, those are ducks and I am a Swan." He said nonchalantly. "Isn't this great, mom?" The boy suddenly beamed at Regina, making her eyes widened quizzically at the boy. "Now, we can have a complete family picture with Emma around."

"Yes, definitely we can have one, my dear." Regina said with a sweet smile on her face before she turned her face to look at the blonde. Emma gave her a reassuring smile with a small nod.

"Wow, were you singing, Emma?" Both women turned their face to look at their son. Henry was looking at couple of pictures of his blonde mother performing on stage when she was in the high school.

"You keep these pictures, Gina?" The blonde looked at Regina and she could feel that her face was turning bright red.

"Well, your mom loved those pictures." Regina laughed endearingly at her friend's comical expression. "Henry, have you forgotten that I used to tell you that your mother was a superstar?"

"Yeah, now that you said it." Henry narrowed his eyes questionably at Emma and then turned his face to look at Regina. "But I thought that you keep Emma's pictures because you like Emma." The blonde sputtered at Henry's words and she tried hard not to look at Regina. Meanwhile, the brunette could feel the heat that was creeping up her face.

"Kid… Kiddo, what the hell are you talking…"

"Well, it was so hard to believe because Emma was sort of a cranky person when I first met her." The boy interrupted his blonde mother when he noted her stutters.

"Henry?" "Henry!" Emma and Regina both said simultaneously.

"Jinx!" The boy said immediately and laughed gleefully at his stammered mothers. He quickly stood up before his mothers could say anything and walked away from the two women. "I'm going up. There's a room with a view of the lake. If we're going to move to this house, I'm taking that room!" The boy said enthusiastically.

"What?" Regina looked at her son in perplexity while Emma quietly facepalmed her forehead and shook her head.

"Emma, this is so great! It is so perfect for our plan." Henry said to his blonde mother particularly before walking upstairs.

"What plan, Emma?" Regina asked her friend with her arms across her chest. The blonde could feel the butterflies in her stomach and her heart was thumping hard in her chest. She turned her face to look at Regina with her nervous puppy grin. Emma chuckled edgily, feeling her stomach was tied up in knots as she looked at those appealing brown eyes. "What are you two hiding from me?"

"Well, you don't really want to know." Emma said with a silly grin on her face and she immediately felt the awkwardness in the air.

Something about you now

I can't quite figure out

Everything she does is beautiful

Everything she does is right

'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose


	7. Nobody Said It Was Easy

**HELD ONTO YOU**

A/N - I'd been away with my bf, thus the delay. I'm back now, full throttle. The story will end somewhere in January 2017. 7 chapters to go. Bear with me. ;)

A bit of a HuntingQueen scene inside. Just in case you're not fond of it.

Another favorite song of mine, Scientist by Coldplay.

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry

You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you

Tell you I need you

Tell you I set you apart

Emma slowed down her car and came to a stop by the road in front of the mansion. "Okay folks, we're here now." Emma said and was replied by a soft snore that came from the backseat of her car. Both women turned around to look at their son and found that the boy was already fast asleep. "Really, kid." The detective rolled her eyes in annoyance and Regina chuckled at her friend.

"Stop being juvenile, Emma. He is just a boy. He must be so tired."

"What? That is so sissy. It's not even 9 o'clock yet. When I was his age, I was like climbing the school's fence at this hour, snuck into the principal's office and stole some of those troublesome test papers with the other boys."

"Please don't ever give him that kind of idea, Emma."

"Nope, I wouldn't dare. Consider it unsaid." Emma shook her head nervously and Regina laughed at Emma's adorable gesture.

"You can't just simply unsaid things, you know." Regina said as she pushed open the car's door.

"Let me get him. You hold the front door." Emma immediately got out of her car and pushed the driver's seat forward to get her sleeping son. "I'll carry him in." The blonde gently placed her arms under the boy's legs and his back and carefully cradled the boy in her arms. "Ugh, my back!" Emma groaned as she carried the boy out of the car, feeling the pressure on her back. "Gosh kid, what have you been eating?" Henry let go a snort and the blonde smiled at her son affectionately. "I guess this is what I deserve after I left you for years, am I right kid?"

"And you even left me alone in an awkward situation with Regina just now. That was rude, kid. Thankfully, I was saved by your grandma's phone call." Emma mumbled as she walked up to the front porch where Regina was waiting for the two of them.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Emma asked the brunette who was standing in front of the door and rummaging through her purse.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I think I forgot to bring my keys." She knitted her brows in a worry frown as she looked at the blonde. "We just have to wait for my mother to open the door."

"Oh sure, don't worry. I'm okay with that." Emma said in an assuring tone and gave Regina a small smile.

"If you need help with Henry…"

"No, I'm fine." Emma shook her head and held her son firmly in her arms. "Hey, I can totally manage this little sunshine." The detective said smugly and smiled at her friend. Regina returned the smile warmly as their eyes met and the blonde felt the butterflies in her stomach.

Suddenly, the door was opened revealing a young man in a black jacket. Emma immediately began to feel a rage creeping up her chest. _Seriously? You're still here at this hour?_ "Regina?"

"Graham?" Regina was so surprised to see her fiance and her eyes were rounded at him. "You're back."

"Yeah, I'm back." The man said as he walked into the brunette's personal space and enveloped her in an intimate hug while the brunette was caught off guard by her fiancé's appearance. Emma looked away as an overwhelming nausea began to churn in her stomach. "I really miss you." Graham said as he pulled away from the hug and gave Regina an adoring smile. He leaned forward to kiss the brunette's lips, but she turned her face and his lips planted on her cheeks instead. Emma cleared her throat while she was trying to look at anywhere but at the couple. Regina noticed the awkwardness in the atmosphere, so she slightly stepped back from the man.

"Oh yes, Graham." The brunette could not help noticing the uneasy tone in her voice. "Emma is here too. She might need a little help." The man turned to face the tall blonde and noticed the sleeping boy in her arms.

"Detective Swan, it's nice to see you again." His unpleasant expression said otherwise.

"What's up, Mr. Dilbert."

"It's Humbert. Anyway, let me help you carry the boy." The man walked up to Emma and reached out his arms to take the boy.

"Nope. I may be a woman but I can totally do this." The blonde said in a provoking tone as she held her son steadfastly in her arms. Emma pushed her way past the man, walked over to the door where Regina was holding it open and into the mansion. The brunette peered up to look at Graham and she noticed the glimpse of hurt on his face. Regina noticed that the man's gaze was fixed on her hands.

"You're not wearing your ring." Hurt. Graham had a forced smile on his face.

"Graham, we were… I have it with me." Regina reached into her back pocket, agitatedly looking for the ring. "We were horse riding just now, so I took it off because I don't want it to…"

"No, it's okay. I understand. Henry needs you now. I'll just wait for you out here." Graham said in a comforting tone. Regina smiled at him and the man returned the smile genuinely. She walked over to him, raised up on tiptoe to give him a peck on the cheek.

"I miss you too. Why don't you just come in with me?" Regina looked into his blue eyes and Graham placed an arm around her waist.

"No, it's okay. I'll see you later, Regina." He said, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. Regina smiled at him before turning around and walked into the mansion in silence.

"Emma, where are you?" The brunette looked around the mansion for the blonde and called out for her.

"Hey, over here." Regina heard a reply from the direction of the living room. Regina entered the living room and saw two figures on her couch. Emma was wearily slumping on the couch while her son was sleeping with his head pillowed by the blonde's thigh. "I want to carry him to his room but I don't want to end up in your parents' room instead." Emma said as she yawned and Regina chuckled at the blonde's remarks.

"It's okay." Regina said as she sat on the couch beside the sleeping boy. "I think you've done enough. You're so tired. I can get Graham to help me carry him up to his room." Emma scoffed upon hearing the man's name.

"No, I can still do it. I am his mother and I ain't a sissy."

"Emma." Regina said in cautioning tone.

"Gina, I mean it. You can just show me his room and I'll get him there." Emma said with pleading eyes. Regina sighed heavily, feeling defeated by the blonde's puppy eyes.

"Fine. You're so impossible."

"I am." Emma said with a proud smirk and Regina rolled her eyes. The brunette then helped Emma to place the boy in his blonde mother's arms and Regina led her to the stairway. The women carefully walked up the stairs, trying not to wake their son. As they got upstairs, they walked silently towards the boy's room and Regina opened the door for Emma to enter the room. Emma then gently placed the boy on his bed and tucked him under his duvet. "Sleep tight, kiddo. You owe me a lot." The blonde whispered to him as she brushed his hair lightly.

Regina walked up to them and sat on Henry's bed. "Goodnight my little prince. I love you." She whispered to her son lovingly and gave a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead. Emma was so touched to see the brunette's fondness towards their son. Regina then stood up and took Emma's hand into hers as she led the dumbfounded blonde to the door. The brunette quietly closed the door, not realizing that she was still holding Emma's hand with her other hand. Emma who noticed the softness of Regina's hand made no effort to pull her hand away from the brunette's.

"Hello there, girls." The two women were startled by a familiar voice.

"Oh, Dr. Mills!" "Mom!" The two women said simultaneously, acknowledging Cora's sudden appearance. Cora's gaze then directed to the women's intertwined hands. Regina noted that her mother's gaze was fixed at her hand and then only she realized that she was still holding Emma's hand. She quickly let go of Emma's hand but tried not to make it so obvious. Of course, she failed miserably when Emma seemed to be so stunned by the brunette's act.

"I hope that we didn't disturb your sleep." Emma said with a nervous grin plastered on her face. She noticed that the lady of the house was wearing her white nightgown.

"Oh certainly you did not, my dear. By the way, what are you two girls doing sneaking around like that?" The blonde noticed the mischievous grin on Cora's face. _Oh, are you kidding me lady?_

"Oh no, we are not sneaking around, ma'am…"

"Emma was helping me to carry Henry to his bed." Regina quickly interrupted the blonde before Emma said anything stupid.

"Oh, that's great. So are you staying here tonight, Emma?"

"No, she's not staying, mom." "Nope, definitely not!" The women said simultaneously again and Cora's raised one of her brows at that interesting finding.

"Well, that's a shame. You two used to spend so many nights together back then." Cora grinned when she noticed the tinge of pink on both women's cheeks. "Well, I'm going back to my beauty sleep. I guess I'll be seeing you two tomorrow then. Goodnight girls."

"Goodnight, mom."

"Night." Emma said with a bleary voice and Regina slapped her lightly on her arm. "Okay, that was awkward."

"Shut up, Emma."

* * *

Regina opened the front door of the mansion and looked around the front yard. She immediately felt guilty when she noticed that Graham was not around anymore. Emma then walked out the door, stretched out her arms as she yawned. She turned around to look at her friend and noticed the worried expression on the brunette's face.

"Oh, that guy has gone." Emma said nonchalantly. "So, I guess he won't be staying here tonight?" The blonde asked Regina, carefully trying not to show her eagerness in her voice. Regina tittered lightly at her and Emma noticed the blush on those olive cheeks. The blonde cursed herself for obliviously causing another awkward situation.

"No Emma, he doesn't routinely stay here." Regina tried to avoid looking into Emma's eyes. "I think he was just stopping by here to see me after his long day at work." Emma noted the guilt in Regina's voice.

"Oh, that's great." Regina eyed at the blonde with a muddled look. "No, I didn't mean to say that. What I was trying to say that he was such a thoughtful guy for… you know what? I'm gonna stop talking now." Regina laughed sweetly at Emma's witty expression and the blonde was glad to see the brunette's blissful face.

"Thank you, Emma. I had a great time today."

"Nah, don't mention it. I also had fun today, thanks to you and Henry." Emma had a gleeful sneer on her face. "I see you and Henry tomorrow?"

"Sure, Emma."

"So, I guess this is goodbye, for tonight." Emma said and her eyes lingered on the brunette for a while.

"Goodnight, Emma. See you tomorrow." Regina said with a small smile. The blonde then reluctantly turned around and walked with lazy strides towards her car. When she reached her car, she peered over her shoulder to look at an empty front porch. Emma sighed heavily before she entered her car, not noticing a pair of brown eyes that was watching the blonde from inside the mansion until the bug was out of sight.

* * *

The brunette pushed open the door to her room slowly and walked into the room. She turned on the dim light by the door before she closed the door behind her and stood with her back against it. Regina looked around at her room and slowly felt a creeping emptiness inside of her. She walked up to her dressing table and sat on a small stool in front of the mirrored dressing table. The woman looked into the mirror and stared into her reflection, feeling so much guilt inside of her. Then, she pulled open a drawer of her dressing table and there was a small red velvet box that had been unmoved in the drawer for the past two days. Regina took out the box and opened it, revealing a shiny platinum ring with oval-shaped white diamond. The young lawyer placed the ring on her palm and folded her fingers over the ring. She brought her hands to her chest as she closed her eyes, holding the ring firm in her hand.

* * *

The doorbell to the diner chimed when the blonde walked into the diner. The blonde expression was sullen and she was so drained. She went back to her summer house after she left Regina's mansion and she went straightaway to her bed. The detective was not really a morning person but since she was so used of her morning run routine and the difficulty of getting the hang of her circumstances at that moment, she managed to wake up so early.

"Hey, grumpy face! Wow, you know that we haven't opened yet and if you were someone else, I really have to kick you out. I think the Monday blues is really getting into you quite literally, isn't it?"

"Hey Rubes. I couldn't sleep last night. I really need some kicks." The blonde took a seat at the counter where Ruby was behind it, cleaning some glasses.

"So, what happened last night? I need all the details stat!" The tall brunette beamed at her grouchy-looking friend.

"What? Have you been talking to Regina's mother?"

"Well, you didn't sleep here last night so I thought that you might be ended up somewhere with Regina doing a little something and something." Ruby had a naughty grin on her face.

"No, Ruby!" Emma hissed at her friend as she bewilderedly looked around the diner to make sure that nobody heard them. "What the hell are you saying? She is someone's fiancée. Why would I want to do a little something and something with her?"

"Oh come on, Emma." Ruby rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I didn't…" Emma glanced at her tall friend before let go a long sigh of resignation. "Who am I kidding? Was it too obvious, Ruby?" Ruby nodded and she smiled reassuringly at Emma. "Oh man, I am so screwed up. I guess I can't get over her at all."

"Yeah, I know. You don't have to if you don't want to." Ruby said nonchalantly. "Listen Emma, we both know that you are painfully in love with Regina. For the love of humanity, can you just tell her already?!" Emma glared at her friend. "Oh come on, there is no one here." Ruby scoffed at the blonde. "And the whole town knows that you're such a proud badass. But we realized that you keep failing to find the right words when you're with Regina. Why is it so hard for you to tell her? Just three simple words."

"I don't know, Ruby. Maybe because she is someone else's bride-to-be?" Emma said with her voice slightly raised. "Plus, I've been an asshat to her once and I really don't want to ruin her wedding now."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Ems. I am pretty sure that something is gonna happen between the two of you."

"Yeah, like what?" Emma took a sip of her hot cocoa while eyeing her friend quizzically.

"Gee, I don't know Emma, like sex?" And with that Emma sputtered and spat her cocoa all over her friend.

"Oh damn it Emma. What the hell?!"

"You deserved it bitch!" Emma said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Emma Swan, I am really happy to see you back here." Suddenly, Granny Lucas approached the two women with puckered brows. "But I really don't appreciate you two corrupting each other like that and pollute my diner with your airborne germs." Emma ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to avoid the old lady's gaze while the brunette was wiping her face with her apron. "Ruby, go clean up right now, 5 minutes then no more break for you for the rest of the shift." The old lady said to her granddaughter with a death-glare before turning around and disappeared into the kitchen.

"You owe me, Ems!"

"Well, you asked for it!"

"Ugh, I don't want to argue with you right now. Granny is gonna kill me." Ruby took off her apron as she gave Emma a warning look. "We are going to talk about this later, Emma. You're not getting away with all these Regina things. And don't forget our gathering tonight!"

"There is no Regina thing, Rubes! I can't do this!"

"Hey, nobody said it is going to be easy. You of all people should know that, Ems." Ruby smiled at Emma encouragingly before she walked into the kitchen leaving the flabbergasted blonde alone at the counter.

* * *

Emma drove her car to the mansion in a hurry, almost breaking traffic laws in the process. She promised Henry that she will take the boy to school every morning since Regina was pretty much occupied with her work as well as her wedding preparation. _Ugh._ She had four missed calls from Henry and another one from Regina. She cursed at herself all the way to the mansion. The blonde was so grateful that she managed to wake up early and thanks to Ruby's coffee as well as her perverted puns, Emma felt a bit more alive.

The blonde stopped her car by the side of the road in front of the mansion and quickly got out of her car. Emma looked around the mansion to look for Henry or Regina but there was no one at all outside of the mansion. She took out her phone and dialed her son's number. Emma was still impressed that Regina even allowed Henry to have his own cell phone.

"Hello, Emma! Where are you? I'm going to be late!" Emma heard her son's voice through her phone.

"Hey kid. I am outside of your house. Come on, get your ass out here!" The blonde chuckled when she heard Henry hissed in disgust. She walked up to the mansion's door and slowly turned the knob when she was right in front of the door. To her surprise, the door was unlocked so she gently pushed open the door. The detective felt wrong when she walked into the house but she kept on stepping in silence inside the foyer. She was hoping that she could surprise Regina by being there in time. Suddenly, she heard a faint sound of voices coming from the direction of the dining room. Emma recognized the voice instantly, it was Regina's. Emma made a guess that the brunette must be talking to Cora or her son. The blonde walked towards the dining room, entranced by the sweet scent of apples with baked pastries and freshly brewed coffee wafting from the kitchen.

The blonde stepped into the dining room with an eager smile and made her way to the kitchen. However, she came into a halt abruptly when she saw a scene before her eyes. Regina and Graham were in each other's arms as they were locked in a passionate kiss. Right at that moment, the blonde could feel that her heart was shattered into pieces and she stealthily turned around to walk away from the frustrating scene. Emma was so speechless and kept on walking hurriedly, so desperate to get out of the mansion. She could feel the heat rising up her face and blamed herself for being so blunt. Rage. Jealousy. Hurt. The woman could not figure out what kind of feeling or emotion that she was having at the moment.

"Hey, Emma." The blonde was about to open the front door when she heard a voice calling her name. "Where are you going? Didn't you hear me calling from the upstairs?" Emma turned around to see her son with his backpack.

"Hey Henry. Sorry, I was just… Are you ready to go now?"

"What happened to you?" The boy eyes at his mother with a quizzical look.

"Nothing. Come on. You don't want to be late."

"I haven't had my breakfast." The boy said innocently but the blonde felt so nauseous for some reasons.

"Emma, you're here." Regina suddenly appeared.

"Good morning, mom." The boy smiled at his brunette mother.

"Good morning, dear."

"Hey, Regina. I just got here." Emma said as she tried hard to hide the queasiness in her voice. The brunette however could sense that the blonde was hiding something from her. They looked at each other, soft brown eyes met with glistening green ones. Regina then noticed the hurt on Emma's expression and it was so familiar. All of sudden, the brunette became conscious of something that just happened in the kitchen and she slowly covered her mouth with her hand. Regina eyes widened and she felt so mortified. Emma noted the brunette's gesture and she knew that the other woman had probably realized that Emma had seen the couple when they were making out in the kitchen.

"Mom, what is wrong?" Henry asked his brunette mother when he saw Regina looked so stunned.

"Henry, go have your breakfast now. You don't want to be late for school." Regina bent down to talk to her son. Henry nodded and immediately walked towards the dining room. The brunette straightened herself up and turned to look at Emma. The blonde was standing still in front of the door with her arms across her chest, trying hard to look anywhere but at the brunette. Regina cleared her throat before deciding to break the awkward silence. "Would you like to join us for breakfast?"

"No thanks, I had one in Granny." Regina noted the peeved tone in Emma's voice.

"You should call me first when you got here."

"Yeah, should I?" Emma intensely stared at her friend and Regina raised an eyebrow at Emma's question. After a while, the blonde felt a pang of guilt about the way she talked to Regina. "Never mind, I'm just gonna wait for Henry in my car." Emma turned around and walked out of the door. She kept blaming herself for letting her anger and jealousy get the best of her when she knew that she had no right to feel that way, especially towards her soon-to-be bride friend. She walked hastily down the front-yard path towards her car.

"Emma, wait!" Emma sighed as she came into a stop. She turned around to see Regina standing up in front of the porch with a worried expression. Somehow, it really made Emma feel so bad. "Will you be at the gathering tonight?" The blonde was so confused at first but then there was a smile slowly carved on her face.

"Sure, I'll see you there?"

"Yes, definitely." Regina returned the smile.

The blonde then turned around and continued walking towards her car as her hands balled into fists. The blonde realized that whatever decision she was going to make, it would not be easy.

 _Okay, Regina. Operation Swan Queen is on!_

Nobody said it was easy

Oh, it's such a shame for us to part

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be so hard

I'm going back to the start


	8. I Absolutely Love Her

**HELD ONTO YOU**

My all-time favorite song by Nine Days, Absolutely (Story of a Girl).

Damn, I am a bit hungover but let's get on with life. Happy 2017 Swen!

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

 _Flashback._

 _The man walked over to his apartment's door. It was about two in the morning when his sleep was disturbed by knocks on his door. Neal tried to ignore the thumps but he could not stand the loud sound anymore. He believed that most of his neighbors were already cursing him for letting the thumps to go on and on. The man was so tired after a long day of training in the police academy and he could not deal with another drama._

" _Hold on." He said loudly to whoever was behind the door and he quickly opened the door. The man then was so surprised to see a friend of his, whom he had not seen for a year ago after their band tournament. The blonde woman looked disheveled in her green beanie, red scarf and a dark grey overcoat. He could not help noticing a red luggage by the woman's side._

" _Emma?"_

" _Hey Neal." The blonde said to the man before enveloping him in a tight hug. Neal was caught off guard by Emma's unexpected appearance but he returned the hug nevertheless._

" _Hey, are you okay?" Neal gently pulled himself from the hug and looked into Emma's eyes. "What happened to you? How do you get here?"_

" _I'm so tired. Can I crash here for a while?" The blonde walked past through her friend and walked up to a couch inside the living hall leaving the flabbergasted man standing at the door._

" _Okay, sure." The confused man replied as he carried the blonde's luggage into his apartment and placed it in a closet by the entryway. "Emma, how on earth did you find me here?" Neal asked Emma but there was no reply at all, instead he heard a soft snore coming from the living hall. "You can't be serious." The man found that his friend was already fast asleep on his couch. He sighed heavily and he went into his room to get a blanket to cover the blonde. "We're so going to have a long talk tomorrow, dude." Neal said to the sleeping form on the couch before yawning as he walked over to his room again to get his own sleep._

* * *

 _Emma had been staying in Neal's apartment for a week but Neal had no idea what she had been going through. The blonde told him that she left Storybrooke after her mother died due to an accident but she never revealed to him about her pregnancy. After she left her son with Cora in Boston General, she decided to travel across the state looking for her old friend. Otherwise, Emma never really talked to Neal about anything at all and it really made the man worried._

" _You aren't going back to Storybrooke, are you?" Neal asked the young woman as they went for a walk through a park after they had their lunch out._

" _Nope."_

" _Why?"_

" _I just don't feel like going back there."_

" _What about David?"_

" _He is in college. I don't want to trouble him." Neal sighed deeply at Emma's indifferent answer._

" _Could it be because of Regina? I remember that you said that you were going to reconcile with her after that day." He paused. "I mean after the band tournament. Did you ever talk to her? I know that you still love her. Or is this about the thing that happened between us a year ago?"_

" _I don't want to talk about this and whatever that happened between us is forgotten"_

" _Emma, please just tell me something. You can't just run away from your problem."_

" _But, you did!" The blonde said in an accusatory tone. "You don't get to tell me that, Neal, because you left Storybrooke and you left your family as well!"_

" _Emma, you know that my father kicked me out. What am I supposed to do?"_

" _Then, just leave me alone."_

" _I'm trying to help you, Emma."_

" _Fine, help me then. Find a way for me to get into the academy as well."_

" _What? How am I supposed to do that?"_

" _How on earth did you get your butt in it? Just let me do the same."_

" _Emma, are you sure about this?"_

" _I think it is the only way of me to forget all of the shit that happened to me."_

 _The man sighed heavily. He realized that he could never stopped his friend from doing whatever that she wanted to do once she made her mind. However, he knew that he could at least cheer up the girl. "Fine. Come with me. I am gonna show you something." He pulled the woman gently by her wrist towards one of the water fountains in the parks where there was a group of buskers performing by the fountain._

" _Woah, are they even allowed to perform here."_

" _Do you still remember our jam, Emma?"_

" _Well, sort of."_

 _Neal approached the group and he whispered something to someone who seemed to be the band lead. The man handed Neal a guitar and Emma could not help grimacing at her friend. Neal started playing the guitar and Emma immediately recognized the song._

" _Yup, definitely my jam."_

* * *

This is the story of a girl

Who cried a river and drowned the whole world

And while she looked so sad in photographs

I absolutely love her.

August looked at his friend. "Hey, are you having a second thought? This is just a get-together not a town council meeting." They were standing by the sidewalk in front of Rabbit-Hole bar. After her awkward encounter with Regina in the morning, Emma was really troubled the whole day. She spent most of the day with her friends, August and Ruby, who just recently learned all about her past in the Mills' ranch.

"Dude, I really don't feel good about our plan."

"Hey, come on. It is your plan." August laughed at his friend's hesitant look. "You looked so terrible this morning because you said that you saw Regina kissing…"

"Ugh, shut up August! Don't remind me of that nightmare."

"Yeah, you should look at yourself when you started trashing around the ranch causing havoc there. Thankfully you have geniuses as your best friends like me and Ruby. We knew that jamming would do well to you. It wasn't an easy job finding all those old instruments, you know?" Emma rolled her eyes in annoyance. After seeing her friend in despair, Ruby knew exactly how to entertain the blonde. The three of them used to be jamming together when they were younger along with David and another friend of them, Will.

"Thanks for keeping my stuffs, dude. I haven't jammed for so long that I feel a little too rusty right now."

"Hey, we are not performing a concert or anything. It just a simple gig. You just need to show them, and her especially, that you still have it in you. Bring back the flame!"

"Need I remind you that we're not in the high-school anymore?" August laughed at Emma's words and walked up to the bar's entrance.

"Come on, Emma. You said that you needed help for Operation Swan Queen. So, stop pissing your pants and get your ass in here right now!" August said to his friend before pushing the door open and stepped into the bar.

"Gosh, what the fuck am I doing?" The blonde mumbled before stomping her way towards the bar. Emma stood right in front of the bar's entrance. She could not remember when the last time she actually went to the bar. She was a minor back then when she first stepped into the bar but it never actually stopped her. Emma took a deep breath before pushing the door and she walked into the bar.

"Hey, she is really here!" Emma heard a familiar voice calling her out. The blonde noticed how the bar had changed. It was bigger with more space and then she noticed the podium. She noticed that her old friend, Will, was performing with his gig band. There were quite a number of crowds in the bar for a Tuesday night. She looked around and she saw Ruby and August. Then she saw Mary-Margaret and David just beside the two best friends. _You can't be serious!_ She kept looking around as she walked towards her friends. Then, she noticed some other familiar faces. There were Kathryn, Regina's maid of honor and other old friends from her high school. The blonde could not find Regina anywhere but she was hoping that Regina would come later.

"Hey there, Princess Charming." Kathryn walked up to Emma and greeted her with a hug. "I am so glad that you're finally here." The smaller blonde pulled from the hug and looked at Emma with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, it's great to see you again, Kat." Emma smiled knowingly at the woman.

"Hey Ems! You look great!" Suddenly a nosy blonde interrupted the two women. Emma grinned at her friend, Tina.

"Hey to you too, Tink. You look the same. Aren't you growing at all?" Tina was better known as Tinkerbell or Tink among all of her friends because of her perkiness, scoffed at Emma. She was one of Regina's bridesmaids.

"Shut up." Tina crossed her arms over her chest. Emma laughed when she noticed that Tina rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Hey Em, you made it! I really thought that you were having a second thought." Will approached the tall blonde after he had done with his performance. The man grinned at the blonde.

"Hey Will."

"Oh no, she's not having a second thought at all." August interrupted.

"So, I take that our plan is still on?" Will asked the two of them.

"Totally!" August said to his friend although he noticed a sign of hesitancy on Emma's face.

"I'm getting the things ready then!" Will said before walking away from them.

"I really don't feel good about this." Emma whispered to August as they both walked up to the table where their friends were gathering.

"Chill Emma. You don't get to back away from this." August laughed at his friend, earning a deadly glare from the woman. "I'm going to help Will. So, please don't you ever think of running away from this place." The man said before following Will.

"Hey love, you look good and beautiful as always!" A man greeted Emma when she reached at her friends' table.

"Hello Killian." Emma hugged him. "And you are still as weird as ever." The man laughed knowingly as Emma pulled herself from the hug. "So, what's with him?" Emma asked Killian in a low tone voice as she pointed to another friend of her, Jeff, who was sitting and drinking by himself at the end of the table.

"Heartbroken." Killian sniggered. "You know, with Regina's wedding. He took it really hard. Poor man still couldn't get over the lady" Emma raised an eyebrow upon hearing Killian's explanations. "Talking about heartbroken and all, how about you, love? Are you okay yourself about Regina's wedding?" Emma looked at the man with widened eyes and she saw a cunning smile on his face.

"Shut the fuck up." Emma replied to him while he laughed out loud.

"So who is this Graham guy?" They were all suddenly interrupted by Jeff's question. All of them turned their face to look at the man who had been quiet all this while.

"I don't know, never heard of him." Killian said and all of his friends were agreeing to him. Emma looked at all of them and she could feel the frustration that was crawling inside of her.

"No idea." David shook his head and turned to look at his wife who was standing next to him.

"Are you guys being serious? You don't remember Graham at all?" Mary-Margaret looked at all of them. The pixie-haired looked at Kathryn who was looking at the others with a doubtful look. Kathryn also seemed to know Graham just like Mary-Margaret. Emma really felt like pulling the two women away from the crowds and wished that she could interrogate them about Graham.

"Nope." David replied nonchalantly.

"He went to Storybrooke High with us." Kathryn said as if it was obvious.

"Nope." Killian said.

"Don't ring a bell!" Jeff said exasperatedly.

"Well, he was sort of a bit different when he was in high school. He was this, well, fat… no, big-sized boy with curly hair and he wore…" Mary said carefully.

"Glasses! Damn! I remember that dude. You guys always made fun of him!" Ruby interrupted Mary-Margaret with a wide smile on her face.

"Oh yeah? He was that fat loser?" David was so surprised.

"I thought that we had a nickname for him. It was something like big teddy or something" Killian tried to remember.

"Curly Bearaham!" Ruby reminded her friend with a wide grin on her face.

"Yeah, he was so big and his tummy was so rounded that he walked like a freakin bear or something." Killian said, feeling so amused.

"Guys… So glad that you guys have finally remember him." Mary-Margaret said as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, I can't believe that I was such a bully." Emma said to herself but all of her friends could hear her.

"But that guy was a jerk himself. He was a nerd and the teachers' pet. We got called into the principal's office a lot because of him." David reminded his sister.

"Remember that one time he decided to chase us after school after the water sprinkler prank." Jeff suddenly interrupted them

"Oh man! I never stop laughing at that…" David said loudly but immediately tuned down when he was being pinched by his wife.

"He was determined. I really thought he was going to get us and kill us." Killian and Jeff laughed so hard while Kathryn and Tina looked at them in disgust.

"Yeah, he gave up after a while, he hyperventilated so badly." Ruby said with uneasiness in her voice.

"Yes, guys. You should all be proud of yourselves, dickheads." Mary-Margaret crossed her arms over her chest.

"Whoah!" The whole group made a simultaneous surprise sound upon hearing Mary-Margaret's words. Emma could not believe that Mary-Margaret would say such thing and obviously all of her other friends had the same idea, judging from their reactions.

"You know whenever you bullied people, Regina and I had to clean up all of your messes. We couldn't just walked away leaving the poor guy sitting by the road barely breathing and all soaked up."

"What do you mean by cleaning up all of our messes? You helped him?" David asked his wife.

"Not just him. We helped everyone who you guys used to made fun of."

"You helped every single person?" Emma asked her Mary-Margaret in disbelief.

"That would be quite a list." Killian chuckled and David laughed, earning a dagger-glare from Mary-Margaret.

"Wait, I think I have a theory how the hell that freak ended up with Regina. He was a creeper." Jeff interrupted their conversation and his face was so stern.

"What do you mean?" Emma responded to the man while everyone else was so dumbfounded by him.

"Mary and Regina had been helping him a lot so he fell in love with Regina ever since. Now, he is back looking all brand new because he is getting his revenge and to get his dream girl to himself." Jeff said in a cautious tone and Emma immediately felt nauseated upon hearing his theory.

"What?" Mary-Margaret looked at him in horror.

"Oh my God, like a slasher movie!" Ruby reacted to Jeff's theory.

"Yeah, a high school loser who is back in town for revenge. He is going to kill us all, isn't he?" Killian had a creepy smile on his face.

"Damn, this is so much thrilling!" David somehow agreed with Killian and Jeff.

"Guys, stop this nonsense. I don't think that is the story. Graham is not like that and he loves Regina so much. I think it is more like a chick flick where a high school nerd worked his way up to be the successful man he is now and finally won the heart of his dream girl." Mary-Margaret said with a hopeful voice. The whole group turned silent for a moment upon hearing Mary-Margaret's words.

"I'll go with the slasher movie." Ruby broke the silence.

"Yup, second that." Everyone else was nodding their heads and was agreeing with Jeff's theory instead.

"Oh, come on." Mary-Margaret protested while everyone else was laughing so hard.

"Hey, what are you thinking?" Ruby noticed the bothered look on Emma's face.

"Damn it Ruby, that Graham guy is a creeper."

"Oh no, Emma. Don't tell me you're buying Jeff's stupid story. That guy is literally a nutcase. You know that he had history with Regina and he is still so crazy about her. If there was any creeper at all, it would be Jeff." Ruby said disinterestedly. Emma looked at Ruby with a hesitant expression.

"But Ruby, what if…"

"Hey, Regina is here." Ruby interrupted the blonde when she saw Regina walked into the bar.

"She's alone."

"Yeah, thank God, her creeper fiancé is not here."

"Hey, just now you said that…"

"Dude, come on! You gotta get ready now." Ruby quickly pushed the blonde away from their friends.

"But I haven't said hi to her." Emma frowned at her friend.

"Nah, you're gonna be so pathetic in front of her anyway, so move your ass!" Ruby kept pushing the blonde and they both disappeared into the crowd. _Oh, I am so screwed!_

* * *

"Hey guys, sorry, I'm late." Regina approached her friends.

"Don't worry about it, dear." Kathryn said as she hugged the brunette. "You're the bride. We totally understand."

"Hey Regina, I am glad you're here." Mary-Margaret greeted Regina with a smile.

Jeff approached the brunette and all of his friends noticed the suggestive look on his face. "Hi Regina, it's been a long time since we last met. You look as beautiful as ever." Regina returned his smile politely but instinctively took a small step away from the guy.

"Oh God, Jeff, that is so cheesy!" Tina said in disgust and she moved to stand beside Regina when she noticed the uncomfortable look on Regina's face.

"Hey love, you look great. So Jeff, let's get something to drink." Killian greeted Regina with a wink before pulling Jeff away from the rest of their friends.

"Okay, that was weird. By the way, where is Emma?" Regina asked her remaining friends.

"Oh? She was here a while ago with…" Mary-Margaret looked around and noticed that half of her friends were gone. "Okay, where is Ruby?"

"They're up there." David gestured at the podium. Regina looked up to find Emma sitting on a stool on the podium with her acoustic guitar in hands. August was sitting on another stool beside Emma with his guitar. Everyone in the bar was cheering loudly as they were anticipating a performance from the blonde and her friend.

"Wow, are they going to sing?" Kathryn asked no one in particular and none of her friends responded to her question except for David who had a smug grin on his face. Regina slowly took a seat next to Mary-Margaret and she could not take her eyes off of Emma as she sat down.

"Hello, people." Emma said into a microphone in front of her. She bit her lower lip to get rid of a slight nervousness in her tone. "I haven't done this for quite some time now. So please don't hate me." The blonde chuckled lightly and she stole a glance towards Regina's direction. _Here goes nothing._ "I am dedicating this song to a special person in my life." Everyone in the bar kept on cheering excitedly and Regina could not help noticing the gaze that Emma sent towards her. Emma started to strum the guitar and began singing.

This is the story of a girl

Who cried a river and drowned the whole world

And while she looked so sad in photographs

I absolutely love her

When she smiles.

August started strumming his guitar, following the blonde's lead. Emma gave another meaningful gaze to Regina and the brunette noticed it. Regina could feel that her heart was thumping hard in her chest.

Now how many days in a year

She woke up with hope

But she only found tears

And I can be so insincere

Making her promises never for real

As long as she stands there waiting

Wearing the holes in the soles of her shoes

Now how many days disappear?

When you look in the mirror

So how do you choose?

The blonde kept on singing and her eyes never left Regina and it did not go unnoticed by the brunette. Regina reached for a half full glass of water on the table and brought to her lips.

"Hey, that's mine." David tried to stop his friend but Mary-Margaret shushed her husband right away. Regina downed the drink in a single gulp and anxiously tried to look everywhere but at the blonde who was singing.

"Regina, are you okay? You look so flushed." Mary-Margaret narrowed her eyes at her friend. Despite the bizarre lightning in the bar, the pixie-haired lady could see that Regina's cheeks were reddened.

"No, I… I am fine." The lawyer found herself to be stuttered at that moment. "I… I just… I think I need some more drinks." Regina stood up and walked towards the bar counter.

"Oh yes, I could use some more drinks too." Mary-Margaret immediately followed her best friend.

David looked at the women and then turned his face to look at his sister. A proud grin formed on his lips. "Way to go, girl." He muttered under his breath with a small nod.

Now how many lovers would stay?

Just to put up with this shit day after day

Now how did we wind up this way?

Watching our mouths for the words that we say

As long as we stand here waiting

Wearing the clothes or the soles that we choose

Now how do we get there today?

When we're walking too far for the price of our shoes

Emma kept on singing and then she noticed that Regina was not in her seat anymore. Her eyes searched for the beautiful brunette but the dim lights were giving her a hard time. She noticed the three women at the bar counter and could not help noticing the occasional glances that Regina threw at her.

"Wow, that is like… your third shot. Maybe you want to slow down a bit, Regina." Kathryn looked at her brunette friend in awe.

"Oh screw it, Kat. We don't always get to do this all the time." Mary-Margaret interrupted the blonde. "When you have a childish husband with a crying baby at home, then you'll know, honey. One more shot." The pixie-haired brunette said to the bartender.

"Gosh Mary-Margaret, how many already have you had?" Kathryn scowled at Mary-Margaret but the latter just shrugged off.

"She's right, Kat. Damn, this one is strong." Regina said after she swallowed another shot of vodka.

Kathryn gaped at her friend. "Oh My God, you're having a second thought, Gina." A grin formed on the blonde's face. "Fine, I guess it can't be helped. Give me one too then." She took a seat next to Regina as she ordered her drink.

Emma's eyes were fixed on the brunette who was sitting at the counter. She kept on strumming her guitar and wished that Regina would look at her.

This is the story of a girl

Whose pretty face she hid from the world

And while she looks so sad and lonely there

I absolutely love her

Regina turned to look at Emma and their eyes met. The brunette sighed heavily and Emma noticed the frown on the brunette face. She gave Regina a small reassuring smile as she sang.

This is the story of a girl

Who cried a river and drowned the whole world

And while she looked so sad in photographs

I absolutely love her

When she smiles

When she smiles!

Just when she ended her song, everyone in the bar cheered and applauded.

"Yeah, thanks everyone. I hope that I didn't burn anyone ears." She chuckled and everyone laughed at her joke. Truth be told, that was the first time after so many years, Emma felt so alive. She could feel the courage that was burning up inside of her. She handed her guitar to Will. "Here, you can have your seat back."

"You were awesome, Swan."

"Thanks to you, Will."

"Now, go get the girl, tiger!"

Emma walked away from her friend and she was so eager to see Regina. She swore that she was going to confess to the brunette about her feelings. She had nothing to lose.

"That was awesome Ems!" Ruby suddenly appeared beside the blonde. "Kathryn told me that Regina was so nervous when you started singing, especially since you said that you dedicated the song to a special person."

"Yeah? Now, you're making me nervous. I gotta see her right now before she walked out of this bar."

"Then, you better hurry, dude." The two kept on walking through all of other people in the bar until they spotted their friends at the counter.

"Hey, you girls. What's up?" Ruby greeted the women with a gleeful tone. Emma looked at Regina whose back was still facing the blonde. She was hoping that the brunette was not upset or anything.

"Thank God, you're here." Kathryn said to Emma and Ruby in relief. "I don't think I can stop them."

"Hey Emma. Wow, I can't believe that you still had it." Mary-Margaret giggled in a peculiar way.

"Hey MM, are you drunk?" Emma looked at Mary-Margaret with a questioning expression.

"They both are." Kathryn shook her head.

"What, we were gone for like less than half an hour and they are already…"

"I am not drunk." Regina interrupted Ruby. "I am totally sober as you can see. Maybe a bit tipsy but I am definitely fine." The brunette turned around to face Emma and Ruby. "And yeah, Emma, you are good. I wonder who this special person you were saying is." The brunette chuckled and Emma smiled at the smaller woman.

"Oh no, she is drunk." Ruby said quietly as she looked down to hide her laughter.

"I am not drunk, Ruby."

"Yeah, I think she already had a few drinks before coming here and well, Mary, she doesn't usually hold her liquor well." Kathryn said and took a sip of her drink.

"Only one song, Detective Swan?" Regina said with a sultry voice, ignoring Kathryn. Emma laughed and shook her head.

"Yes, only one song, Miss Mills." The blonde said ignoring all the looks she got from her other friends. "You were late. You could've missed it."

"I doubt that." The brunette tried to get up from her seat and stumbled during the process. Thanks to Emma's good reflex, the blonde caught the brunette before she fell down. Emma steadied the brunette on her feet but her hands stayed on the smaller woman's waist.

"Are you sure you're not drunk?" Emma chuckled.

"You saved me." Regina pulled herself away from the taller woman. She took Emma's hand into hers and slowly pulled the taller woman towards the middle of the bar where other people were dancing. "I owe you a dance." Emma sniggered at the woman.

"Well, I guess you do."

* * *

Emma was sitting near the bar counter as she glanced at Regina and Mary-Margaret who were still dancing on the dance floor. Ruby was dancing with an unfamiliar tall brunette and Emma was so impressed with Ruby's boldness. The blonde had to excuse herself though when she started to feel nauseous just a while ago.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I'm good, David."

"You did great. Regina was so totally flattered by you."

"Yeah? She's drunk though her sanity is still pretty much intact compared to your wife." David laughed knowingly at his sister.

"Well, that is the exact thing that I need to talk to you." David scratched his head with a nervous smile plastered on his face. "Mary told me that if Regina got drunk, she will have to stay over at our place for a night because Regina doesn't want Henry to see her… well, like that. But as you can see, Mary is drunk as well and I don't think I can handle two drunken women at my home."

"I really don't like the sound of this."

"Yeah, I really hope that you can give me a hand." David looked at his sister with his puppy-pleading eyes.

"No, no… You don't get to do that."

"Please Emma. I don't know to whom I should turn to. As you can see Ruby is pretty busy right now and Kathryn is going to kill me. And I don't think I should ask Killian or Jeff…"

"Don't you dare, dude!" Emma snapped at her brother.

"I don't have Graham's number. I mean, he is the best person I can…"

"No! Fine, I'll get her to my place. I had a few drinks myself so you gotta drive us back to my place." Of course David had to stay sober for the night since he was the sheriff.

"Deal! Thanks Emma but I am sure it is going to be one hell of a ride though."

* * *

David's truck came to a stop when it was right in front of Emma's cottage front yard. The blonde pushed the truck's door open and quickly got out of the truck. "Okay, Regina, come on." Emma put her arms around Regina's waist as she helped the smaller woman to get out from the backseat of David's truck.

"You don't have to do this. I can walk. And do you know that I can drive?" Regina whined.

"Of course, you can." Emma chuckled but one of her arm was still firm around the woman's waist. Then she pushed the truck's door shut using her free hand.

"Hey Emma, do you need me to help you?" David called out his sister.

"Nah, I think you already have your hands full with that one." Emma laughed as she pointed to Mary-Margaret who was singing loudly next to David.

"Yeah." David sighed. "Anyway, I am sorry, Emma. I really appreciate your help. I'll get someone to bring your car over here and I'll call you in the morning."

"Hey, no worries."

"Thanks, David!" Regina interrupted them with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Goodnight, Regina. Stay out of trouble you two." David said with a smirk before driving away from the cottage front yard.

"Ha ha, very funny." Emma rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I am totally sober." Regina muttered to herself and she pushed Emma's arm away from her. The brunette bent down to take off her heels and held them in her hands. "Thank you for letting me stay here for the night, Emma."

"Yeah, we don't want Henry to see you all tipsy, right?"

"For the hundredth times, I am not drunk." Regina gave a pointed look at the blonde and Emma laughed at her.

"Sure, miss dancing queen." Emma pulled out the keys from her back pocket and walked up to the front door. She turned the door knob and pushed the front door open. "Okay, let's get in now, Gina." Emma turned around to find her friend stood still with an empty gaze on her face. "Hey, what's wrong?" The blonde immediately walked over to her friend and placed her hands on Regina's shoulders. Regina peered up to look at Emma's face. She was notably shorter than Emma without her heels on. "Regina, are you okay?" There was concern in her voice and she gently cupped Regina's face in her hands.

"I miss this place." Regina said softly. "I miss the good old days with you and your mom. I miss your mom. She was so lovely." Her eyes were glistened with tears. _Yup, she is drunk._

"Yes, she was and I miss her too." Emma noticed the crack in her voice.

"And I miss you, Emma." Emma was surprised by those words but she was still holding Regina's face in her hands. "I was so scared when you left because I knew it was my mistake." There were tears running down Regina's cheeks.

"Hey, hey, I am here." Emma said as she pulled Regina into a hug and tried to calm the sobbing woman down by rubbing soothing circles on the brunette's back with her hands. "It wasn't your mistake…"

"I asked Daniel to be my prom date." The smaller woman whimpered.

"What?" Emma asked while still holding Regina in the embrace. Regina somehow pushed the blonde gently and looked up to face her.

"He said that he wouldn't go to the prom but I knew if I asked him to be my date, he couldn't say no to me. He was always there for me, so I just wished I could do the same for him. I really didn't want him to be all alone."

"Oh Regina…"

"Then, he only agreed to go to the prom with me but with a condition. He wanted everyone to think that he was the one asking me to be his prom date instead."

"What? But why?"

"Because he said that someone would ask me to be the date. He didn't want to ruin that. He was…" Regina could not hold her sniffles anymore. "He was talking about you and he didn't want you to be upset but I was…" Emma was caught off guard by Regina's words and suddenly she felt that her heart was beating hard against her chest. "I really didn't think that you would ever ask me until that night in the Granny's. I was so stupid. I should've said something to you. I made a damn mistake!" Regina covered her face with her hands and Emma let out a breath she did not realize she was holding as she digested the whole truth.

"You're not stupid, Regina. I, on the other hand, am the biggest asshole on the planet."

"I should've told you long ago that I really like you." Regina mumbled through her fingers.

"What?" Emma was sure that her heart skipped few beats upon hearing that.

"I said I like you, Emma Swan." Regina said firmly as she put down her hands to her sides. Emma looked at the brunette with rounded eyes and bright green orbs met with glistened brown ones. Then, there was a small heartwarming smile formed on the blonde lips. "Emma?" Regina searched the blonde's face, looking for answers. Emma chuckled when she noticed the tinge of pink on the brunette's cheeks.

"I like you too, Regina Mills." _No, scratch that, Swan._ "I love you so much, Regina Mills." She stepped into Regina's personal space and softly cupped Regina's face into her hands. She gazed lovingly into those beautiful brown eyes. "I should've told you a long time ago."

Regina intuitively rose onto her tiptoes, placed her arms around Emma's shoulders and drew Emma's face closer to hers until their lips met. Emma gasped into the kiss but did nothing to actually pull away from the kiss. _Oh, Swan. This is a drunk-kiss. Abort! Abort! Wow, her lips are so soft._ Emma kept blaming on the booze she had because, in the back of her mind, she knew that it was wrong to be kissing the brunette. The blonde instead deepened the kiss, her tongue gently sought entrance and Regina parted her lips, allowing Emma's firm tongue to explore Regina's mouth. Regina moaned when their tongues met and caressed, savoring each other's taste. The kiss lasted until they both needed to pull back for air.

They both looked intently into each other's eyes, panted. _Okay, that's it, Swan. Walk away now._ "I love you too, Emma Swan."

This time, it was Emma who closed the distance between them and pulled Regina into another passionate kiss. This time, it was different and Emma Swan realized it but she decided to get into the kiss anyway.

Well your clothes never wear as well the next day

And your hair never falls in quite the same way

You never seem to run out of things to say

* * *

The bright sunbeams streamed through the windows of Emma's room and fell upon her bed. The blonde groaned when the bright sun shone upon her face. However, Emma refused to move at all especially since her arms were still comfortably wrapped around the warm body of a person next to her. Plus, she was really enjoying the sweet scent of apple and lavender and… _What the fuck?_ She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was raven tresses. She promptly pushed herself into a sitting position, startling the brunette who was sleeping soundly.

 _Shit, what have I done?!_ She wished she could run but it was too late since those brown eyes had finally met hers.


	9. Like I'm Half of a Whole

**HELD ONTO YOU**

Sad Song by We the Kings and Elena Coats

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

You and I,

We're like fireworks and symphonies exploding in the sky.

With you, I'm alive

Like all the missing pieces of my heart, they finally collide.

With you I fall.

It's like I'm leaving all my past in silhouettes up on the wall.

With you I'm a beautiful mess.

It's like we're standing hand in hand with all our fears up on the edge.

They did not talk at all since they got into the yellow bug. The blonde could sense the awkwardness in the air, hell, she wished she could disappear into thin air. The journey from her house to the Mills' mansion seemed to be unusually and excruciatingly longer than usual for reasons.

It was almost nine in the morning when they finally opened their eyes that morning. And Lord, was it messy. Everything was so all over the places. Emma was so impressed by Regina's fluency in profanities within the first half an hour after they woke up. The brunette did not seem to be upset, well of course she was very upset but not towards the blonde. Regina was pretty much disappointed with herself. They agreed to talk about whatever they had later on that day because Regina was so worried about being late to work. Emma was about to call her brother but then she noticed that her bug was already parked outside of her house. She was sure that David and one of his deputies came over to her house that early morning with her car. But of course, she was still sleeping to even notice their presence. Well, the blonde hoped that she and Regina were sleeping instead of doing another possible activity when David came over to her house.

The blonde sighed heavily and stole a glance at the brunette who was sitting next to her. Regina was wearing her sunglasses, recovering from the hangover and gazed too deeply through the window. Emma cleared her throat before breaking the silence. "So, last night was something."

"Emma please, this is not the time to talk about… last night." The brunette replied without even looking at Emma.

"Okay, so when is?"

"What?"

"When is the best time to talk about last night?"

"I don't know, Emma. Maybe tonight. I'll call you or something. Can you just give me a moment to just, I don't know, process everything, please?" The brunette pled.

"Sure." Emma decided not to give Regina anymore hard time. Deep inside, she knew she made a wrong move but she was hoping that they would be able to talk it through later on that day. "I'm sorry." The blonde said almost whispering when her guilt started to kick in. Well, she was not even sorry for the most beautiful night she ever had but she was afraid that it would change what she already had with Regina. She was afraid that she hurt the woman. "If I hurt you." The blonde said unwaveringly while her eyes were fixed on the road ahead of her. "But when I said I love you, I meant it."

Regina could feel that her body became stiff. There was a huge lump in her throat and her heart was beating rapidly. She turned her face towards the window on her side, fiddling with her fingers and tried to avoid looking at the blonde.

"You don't have to say anything now, Gina." Emma said when she noticed that Regina was fidgeting in her seat. The brunette sighed as she turned her face to Emma. Despite Regina's sunglasses, the blonde noticed the fear on the beautiful woman's face. Emma gave Regina a comforting smile. "I'll wait." Regina felt that her heart fluttered at Emma's word.

The rest of their journey was filled with silence.

* * *

The diner's doorbell chimed when Emma pushed open the diner's door. Ruby's eyes widened in delight when she saw her best friend but then the waitress noticed the glower on Emma's face. The blonde walked lazily towards the diner counter and took a seat on one of the stools. The tall waitress immediately walked over to the counter and took her place behind the counter opposite to Emma.

"Hey starfish! What shit are you bringing here with that sulky face?"

"Good morning, Ruby."

"Hey, it is almost twelve. Anyway, I expected you to be beaming with joy after your performance last night." Ruby took out a cup from beneath the counter and started making Emma's hot chocolate.

"You have no idea."

"Anyway, you were gone out of sudden last night. I couldn't find you and David and MM and well… Regina. Where had you been?" Ruby grinned mischievously.

"Well, you were too occupied last night to even bother noticing us walked out of the bar."

"Ohh…" Ruby said knowingly. "Well, I guess a fiery brunette is really my type. Ring a bell?" The waitress laughed loudly, earning a death-glare from the blonde. "It's okay, you can keep Regina." Emma's face scrunched when she heard the name that was mentioned by Ruby. She groaned dramatically before leaning over and her head fell on her arms on the countertop.

"Okay… So I take that last night was a failure?" Ruby could hear a reply coming from the blonde but it sounded more like gabble. "What are you doing? Don't die on me." Again, Emma mumbled against the counter top and it was getting on Ruby's nerves.

"Emma Swan, stop doing that! Look at me and start talking in a language that lies within human comprehension. Come on, drink this." Ruby placed a cup of hot chocolate topped with cream and cinnamon in front of the blonde. Emma then reluctantly pushed herself to sit up straight.

"Well, Regina and I went back to my place. It wasn't really a disaster."

"Okay, so I suppose that is good then." The tall brunette took a sip of her coffee, patiently waiting for Emma's story.

"But it didn't go the way I want it to be."

"So, we failed?"

"No, it was kinda good."

"Stop beating around the bush, Swan. I don't have all day." Ruby huffed exasperatedly.

"I confessed to her." Emma said in a lowly voice.

"What?" Ruby leaned forward, straining her ears to hear Emma's words.

"I told her that I love her."

"For real?!" Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs and Emma's eyes widened in horror at her friend's reaction. Emma quickly placed a finger on her lips and made a hand gesture for Ruby to voice down. The brunette noticed the look that every patron in the diner sent towards her direction. "Finally, you did it!" Ruby leaned over as she said in an almost whispering tone. "So, what did she say?"

The blonde looked around the diner, making sure that nobody was listening to her. "Well, that's the thing."

"Oh no, she rejected you?" There was an unnecessary empathy in Ruby's voice.

"No Ruby, focus! Then she said she loves me." Emma hissed at her friend.

"Oh damn, Swan! You did it! So, I take that her wedding is ca…"

"Right after we made out in front of my house." Emma interrupted her friend.

"What?"

"I told her that I love her, so we made out and then she said that she loves me."

"Made out as if tongues and stuffs?"

"We kissed, you pervert." Emma rolled her eyes.

"What are you? A retard? That totally went well, you idiot!" Ruby beamed at her friend.

"Then we slept together." Emma muttered under her breath, her face reddened and she looked away from her friend as she said so.

"Come again?" Ruby leaned forward closer to her friend, almost climbing the counter.

"I slept with Regina." Emma growled.

"For the love of all the fucking gay goddesses on this planet, Emma Swan, please tell me that you did not just say that!" Ruby yelled again as she slammed both of her hands on the counter top, attracting the whole diner including those in the kitchen. Emma was too stunned to say a thing and the blonde swore that she could hear a buzzing sound in her ears right after Ruby's histrionic reaction. The detective warily eyed around the diner when she heard that everyone in the diner started to whisper among each other.

"You filthy little punk, get the heck out of my diner." Granny stood in front of the kitchen entrance with a butcher knife in her hand. She was particularly ordering her granddaughter to leave the diner but Emma decided to scramble along with Ruby out of the diner.

"What the hell, Rubes?" Both of them were panted once they were at the diner entrance.

"You idiot! How do you expect me to respond? What was I supposed to say?"

"What? But you were the one who keep saying that I could be having something with her."

"Yeah…" Ruby looked at her friend in disbelieve. "Obviously, when I said that something could happen between the two of you, and I said sex, I didn't even ask you to consider doing it for like literally."

"You are crazy! You keep suggesting…"

"I told you to tell her you feelings towards her. I didn't specifically tell you to get into her pants!" Ruby said in annoyance.

"Guess what? Shit happened."

"Yes, the damage is done, Swan. So, what are you going to do about it? I mean, now that both of you knew that you love each other, are you going to make it work between the two of you?"

"I am… not sure about that. We agreed that we will talk about it later."

"Talk? That's not good. Well, talk is good. But you and talk don't usually go well when it comes to Regina."

"Hey, what do you mean?" Emma scowled at her friend.

"I mean, I know that you're awesome and all that but talking isn't really your forte. You're so gonna choke on your own shitload of words that you're not supposed to say. I am just saying this based on experience."

"Wow, that is so not helping but thanks for reminding me the obvious."

"Listen, I know that you feel shitty right now and knowing Regina, I am sure that she feels the same right about now, she's the one getting married and she slept with her best friend. Imagine what she has to do to overcome her guilt whenever she has to face Graham." Emma looked at her friend and the brunette noticed the frown of guilt on Emma's face. The detective covered her face with her hands and growled loudly, sending the chills up Ruby's spine. "Hey, I don't think that fucking scary sound is necessary." The tall brunette patted the blonde's shoulder. "I mean, we can try to figure this shit out. Come on dude, don't be lame."

Emma removed her hands from her face and peered up to send a dagger-glare at her friend. "Jeez, thanks Rubes. You've been too helpful." The blonde walked slowly towards a bench outside the diner and took a seat. Emma sighed heavily before leaning down and placing her face in her hands again. She really hated Ruby right at the moment for reminding her about her disfluency but she had to reluctantly agree with her friend. Things would be a lot easier if she could just confess to Regina about her feelings earlier. She realized that she should have told Regina about her feelings long ago before she left the town. She should have confessed to Regina that night in Granny's before the prom instead of stormed out of the diner. She should have held Regina's hands when she was lying next to the woman under the oak tree and told Regina that she would always love her. She should have told Regina when the brunette was not betrothed to anyone at all. Emma realized that she had royally screwed up her life and Regina's as well.

"Hey, I really want to help you. I can get August to do something." Emma was pulled out of her trance by a pat on her shoulder.

"No, please, no August this time." Emma raised her hands, palms outward and shook her head. "I can't have him in this. Not anymore. I really appreciate your help but I can't have you in this anymore, Rubes. I made this terrible mistake, so I gotta fix this. I also don't want Henry to be part of this as well. I should have fixed this thing that I ruined a long time ago." Emma said exasperatedly. Ruby took a seat next to Emma and the brunette could sense the built up emotional walls that Emma had put up around her for years.

"Ems, are you sure? You don't have to do this alone."

"Ruby, I fucked up again. Like literally this time. I have to make it right."

"How? I know that I am not the right person to give you advice or shit. But are you sure that the next time you try to fix thing all by yourself, you won't screw thing up again? You won't back away or… you know, escape?" Emma turned to look at her friend with raised eyebrows. She felt like a pang of reality was hitting hard on her face. Ruby might be acting ridiculous most of the time but she was Emma's closest friend and Ruby definitely knew the blonde very well. Ruby reminded Emma what she really was, a commitment phobic. Emma had been running away all her life and she knew it well enough.

Suddenly, the two women were startled by the sound of Emma's cell phone ringing. Emma immediately reached into her jacket pocket to get her cell phone. She looked at the screen of her phone before flashing a knowing look at Ruby. The brunette looked at her friend questioningly as Emma stood up and walked away from Ruby to answer the phone call.

"Hello Gina." Ruby noticed the shudder in Emma's voice and the brunette sighed in annoyance. "I am… I am just doing okay. What about you?" Ruby made a grumbling sound as she rubbed her temple. Emma noticed the brunette's gestures and she glared at her friend before walking away a bit further from Ruby. Emma started whispering into her phone, hoping that Ruby would not listen to the conversation that she was having. After a while, Emma walked up to Ruby with an empty gaze.

"It was Regina."

"Obviously. I could tell by just looking at your retarded expression and hearing to your conversation or the lack of it. I bet half of your not so functioning brain tissues are dead by now." Emma scowled at Ruby.

"Ruby, focus! She said that she wanted to see me tonight."

"Where?"

"Her place."

"What? No! Definitely not at her place. That is like walking into a huge bear-trap!"

"At least I won't do any more stupid thing there with her family and all are around."

"Right. Are you sure about that, Ems?"

"No, I am not. I have no idea what to do right now, Rubes."

* * *

The brunette was sitting at the kitchen island with her elbow on the table and her hand supported her chin. She blankly stared at her older sister and mother who were chattering with each other as they prepared dinner. She wanted to help the women but she was not in a mood.

"Long day at work?" Cora's question pulled Regina out of her trance.

"Well, yes. I think I'm a little tired."

"Oh please mom, it's not like she had anything to do at work anyway." Zelena mocked her sister. "I doubt that she has any assigned case at all at a time like this. You're still hungover from last night."

"I am not. Like I said, Zee, I just got home and I am tired."

"Right. So where were you last night?" Zelena asked her sister as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"None of your business, sister." Regina sulked, looking away from her sister and her mother to hide the blush that was creeping up her cheeks.

"Interesting. What ever happened last night?" Zelena smirked.

"Okay Lena, stop teasing your sister." Cora said as she slowly stirred a pot of stew on the stove before placing a lid on the pot. "She is tired."

"Teasing her? She is not five anymore, mom."

"And you're not seven, so stop teasing her. Get back to your work."

"Fine." Zelena muttered and she started cutting some zucchinis.

"Honey." Cora walked up to Regina. "Go get some rest first. You can come help us later once you're feeling much better."

"Mom, I'm fine." Regina protested.

"No, you're tired. You said it yourself." Cora said with a firm voice and Zelena stole a glance at the two women. "Go rest. Or maybe you can help out your father later. He will be home any minute now." The older woman smiled at her daughter with so much warmth.

"Okay mom. Thanks." Regina returned the smile before standing up and walked out of the kitchen. Once she was out of the two women's sight, Regina sighed. She entered the study room and sat on one of the couches in the room. She closed her eyes to ease down but so many things were rushing through her mind. The brunette stayed like that for a while until she fell into a slumber. All she could see in her dream was a blonde with a silly grin and Regina smiled in her slumber.

* * *

It was only a few minutes passed since she closed her eyes, Regina then was awakened by a gentle touch on her shoulder. The woman opened her eyes to see her father smiling at her. "Hello, mija." The man greeted his daughter before leaning down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Welcome home, daddy." Regina smiled at the Mayor.

"Are you okay?" The man sat on a couch opposite of his daughter. "You look troubled, my dear."

"No, daddy. I'm fine, really." Regina shook her head. "I'm just tired from work and well, maybe a little tired after the last night's gathering."

"Are you sure about that, dear?" The mayor eyed at his daughter with a doubtful look. "I know that look. I can sense that something is bothering you. Your mother is worried about you and you know that you can tell me anything. Is it the wedding?"

"No dad, it's not the wedding…" Regina trailed off and noticed the frowned that her father directed at her. "Well yes, it is the wedding. I'm just thinking too much about it."

"Why? Is there anything wrong? Something to do with Graham?"

"No! There's nothing wrong with Graham. He's…" She paused. "He's been wonderful. It is just me, daddy. You know, like you always said that I'm always so critical about everything." Regina chuckled nervously.

"Dear, Graham is a good man. Everything will be fine and both of you will be doing well together."

"Yes, I'm sure about that too." Regina said with a small smile but the old man noticed something odd about his youngest daughter.

The man smiled knowingly at his daughter. "I'm really sorry, Regina. We used to talk about so many things but I guess my job is taking that away from us. But I really want you to know that I'll always be here for you. So, if you need anything, I'm ready to hear it, okay?"

"Sure daddy." Regina nodded as she smiled at her father.

Suddenly, the two were interrupted by knocks on the study room's door. The door was left opened and the person who knocked on the door walked into the room when the mayor said yes, giving permission for the person to enter the room. "I'm sorry, sir, for interrupting you." Graham said to the mayor as he stood by the door. "I came here as soon as I got your message." The young man turned to look at Regina and the brunette noticed the delight on the man's face. "Hello, Regina." Graham smiled at the woman.

The brunette was left speechless and she could feel a flash of guilt in her chest. "Hi, Graham."

"Yes, Graham. I'm really sorry to bother you but I just need to see the papers before the meeting in the morning. I haven't got the chance to do so today." Henry Sr. then lit up as he looked at her daughter. "And maybe you can join us for dinner again tonight."

"Well, it is my pleasure, sir." Graham smiled at the mayor before glancing at Regina.

"Okay, I'll be helping mom in the kitchen then." Regina said as she stood up. She walked over to Graham and planted a peck on the man's cheek.

"How are you doing?" Graham asked her.

"I'm good. How about you?"

"I'm feeling so much better after seeing you here." The man said with so much sincerity. Then he placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face until she was again gazing into his eyes. "Are you sure you're fine?"

"Graham, I'm fine, really." Regina chuckled lightly. She lifted her hand and gently removed Graham's hand from her chin but kept holding his hand in hers. "Anyway, daddy is still waiting for you." Regina peered over her shoulder to look at her father and the old man smiled at the couple.

"Yeah, right. I'll see you later." Graham smiled at the woman tenderly as Regina nodded and let go of the man's hand. Graham kissed her on the cheek before walking away and took a seat on the couch that Regina sat on a while ago. The young man then handed a folder to the mayor and they started to discuss about their work while Regina was still in the room. The brunette observed the two men for a while before taking her leave. Her father trusted Graham. Regina sighed again for the hundredth times on that day. Frankly, the brunette was disgusted with herself.

* * *

The blonde walked towards the front porch of the mansion. She paced around there for a few minutes, hesitating to ring the doorbell. Suddenly, the blonde felt that Ruby was right about walking into a bear-trap. Emma could not think of any better place to be alone with Regina at that moment thus when Regina asked to meet her at the mansion, the blonde just bluntly agreed. The fact that she did not have a slightest idea on what to say to Regina was making her so nervous but deep inside she was dying to see the brunette once again after their fiery encounter last night. However, Emma was still sort of surprised that Regina decided to meet at the mansion that night, especially with Cora and Henry around, it should not be an easy task. After a few long minutes, Emma rang the doorbell and took a deep breath.

"Detective Swan?" Emma was greeted by a male voice.

"Mr. Lambert." The blonde said in between gritted teeth and a forced smile.

"It's Humbert."

"Yeah, right. Anyway, I come to see Regina. She… she invited me."

"Sure, why don't you get in? I'll go get her."

"It's okay, thanks. I'll just wait her here." The man eyed at the woman and Emma noticed the brief suspicious stare that the man directed towards her before he walked into the mansion, leaving the front door wide open. Emma saw the man walked across the foyer of the mansion and disappeared into the dining room. The way Graham navigated himself smoothly in the mansion really made Emma felt sick and she could feel the anger bubbling up inside her. She used to be the one who could simply walked in and out of the mansion as if she was living there as well. Emma groaned and walked away from the front porch, distancing herself from the door. She realized that she had no right to hate the man. After all she was the one who slept with the man's fiancée. The blonde threw her head back and sighed exasperatedly.

"Are you okay, Emma?" The familiar lustrous voice made Emma startled. The blonde turned around to see Regina standing at the doorway with a concern look on her face. She was wearing a tight fitted black dress that ended just above her knees. Emma could feel that her heart skipped a beat upon seeing the brunette. Regina closed the door behind her and walked up to Emma.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look good too."

"Yeah, thanks. So, Graham is here as well." It sounded more like a question rather than a statement.

"Yes, my father invited him for dinner. Just like any other nights."

"Oh? Even last night?"

"Yes, I was late yesterday because I had dinner here with my family before going to the club." Regina rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Your family? So Graham is already a family?"

"Why are we talking about Graham? I thought that you wanted to talk about… the thing that happened last night."

"Yeah, sorry. You're right. I want to talk about last night." The blonde shook her head. "Last night was great and I just want to know what is going to happen next. What is it between the two of us now?" Regina looked into the blonde's eyes and Emma smiled. The smaller woman took Emma's hand into her as she pulled Emma further away from the front porch. The blonde was so surprised by the motion but she voluntarily followed the brunette's lead. Both women ended up standing under The Mills' renowned apple tree.

"Hey what's wrong?"

"Emma, last night was… great…"

"It was wonderful."

"But let's not make it happen again."

"Wha…what do you mean?"

"Maybe… maybe it was just a mistake and we were not thinking straight. I was tired after a long day and had few drinks..."

"I wasn't that drunk, Gina."

"What?"

"I still remember the things that happened. Were you that drunk? You kept saying that you were sober. Don't tell me that you don't remember a single thing you said and done last night because that sounded so wrong." Emma could feel the heat that was creeping up her face.

"Of course I remember, Emma. I was a bit inebriated but I do remember every single… explicit detail."

"A bit inebriated…" She scoffed at the brunette. "Really Regina? Inebriated?"

"Emma please, you don't understand."

"No Regina. Do you even remember telling me you love me? Because I do, Gina. I remember that I told you that I love you, Regina. I meant it."

"Emma, please."

"Regina, please. We can work this out." Emma desperately reached her hands towards Regina's and placed them into hers. The brunette did nothing to pull away her hands but she sighed heavily, trying to avoid eyes contact with the taller woman. "Please, Gina." Emma pled as she gave a firm assuring grasp on the brunette's hands. "I want this."

Regina peered up to look at the blonde's face and she was met with radiant green eyes. Emma was so relieved to see Regina's face though the smaller woman had concern written all over her face. The blonde gave Regina a reassuring smile and Regina chuckled softly when she saw the acquainted silly grin. "There you are." Emma said almost whispering.

"Emma, I'm so confused. I'm getting married. I shouldn't…"

"I know but..."

"Regina, where are you?" A man's voice suddenly interrupted the two women's conversation. Regina quickly pulled her hands from the blonde's upon hearing the familiar voice. Emma tossed back her head as she groaned and rolled her eyes in annoyance. They heard footsteps approaching them.

"Regina, what are you doing outside here?"

"Graham. I'm just… We are just talking." Regina walked towards the man leaving an irritated Emma by the apple tree. Graham eyed at the blonde thoughtfully before placing an arm around Regina's waist. The brunette somehow could sense the awkwardness and the tension in the air.

"Were you looking for me, Graham?"

"Well, your mother is looking for you so I just thought that you could be outside here." Graham said as he smiled at Regina. Emma looked away and she could feel that her guts were somersaulting.

"Oh, okay. I'm just going to…" Regina said, hesitating as she stepped away from the man. "I'm just going inside for a while." The brunette made a hand gesture towards the mansion and Graham nodded. Regina turned to look at Emma. "Emma, I… see you later."

"Sure." Emma smiled knowingly at the brunette and Regina returned the smile before walking up to the front porch of the mansion. The blonde kept on staring at Regina until she disappeared into the mansion.

"You're not coming in as well?" Emma was startled by the question. She cursed herself for obviously staring at Regina when the woman's fiancé was still in sight. The blonde looked at the man who had his arms crossed over his chest and she noticed the man's defensive stance. _Wow, chill dude. Well, who am I kidding? I screwed his woman. Stupid Swan!_

"Well, no thanks. I am just going to hang around here a little while."

"Of course." The man said and Emma noticed the sneer. "Serve you." Graham turned around towards the mansion. Suddenly, Emma felt like a rage bubbling out of her chest but she could not point out what made her so mad at that moment. She just felt like punching the man.

"Hey dude, I know who you were, man." The blonde said almost shouting and Graham stopped walking. He turned around to look at Emma.

"Okay, so, should I be flattered, detective?" There was sarcasm in his tone, fueling Emma's rage.

"Ha, funny! I don't know what you're trying to do here but if you ever hurt her, you should know that I am so going to make you pay. I'm so gonna punch you in the face."

"Wow, you never changed at all." Graham scoffed and shook his head.

"Do you even know me, dude?"

"Of course I know you Emma Swan. The whole town knows you, their former superstar. You were that Princess Charming that ruled the whole town with her band of so-called popular kids." Graham said calmly and Emma stammered.

"I know how you were with Regina back then. I still remember when you along with your band of crooks were picking on me and then Regina would pick me up from the dirt. I still could not believe that you two were even friends." The man shrugged. "But that was years ago. I am not that kind of man who needs to be picked on and picked up anymore. I have my own life now and I just want to be there for her whenever she needed someone."

"I knew it!" Emma interrupted Graham. "This is all about revenge. You're trying to get back at us, aren't you? You're hurting Regina! I swear you'll be sorry for…"

"What are you talking about, detective?" Graham looked at Emma with a confused look. "Revenge? Seriously?"

"You're marrying her for…"

"I love her!" Graham raised his voice. "For God's sake. I love her." Emma looked at the man and she was so speechless. "Daniel was the only best friend I had. I promised him that I'll look after her and Henry." Graham stared at the blonde intently and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I will protect them from anything that will hurt them."

Emma scoffed at him. She could feel her heart was thumping hard in her chest. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Have you ever thought that you were the one causing pain to her? She was so wounded when you left the town and when Daniel died, she felt so hopeless and crumbled. She kept on thinking that everyone was leaving her behind. Where were you when she needed you? Where were you when both of your best friends needed you, Emma Swan?"

The blonde gawked at the man for a moment before looking down at the ground. She wished she could answer his questions and she hated herself because she had to agree with his statements. She was the one who had been causing pain to Regina and Henry all those past years. The blonde fisted her hands firmly before walking away from the man, avoiding his gaze. Normally, she would have punched anyone in the face who had been provoking her especially about her past but she just could not do it at that point of time. It would hurt Regina as well, thus she simply walked away.

Graham was about to enter the mansion when Regina stumbled into him. She swayed a bit but her fiancé quickly steadied her by holding her waist.

"Hey, where are you going?" Graham chuckled at the clumsy woman. Regina blushed as she gently brushed away the strand of hairs on her forehead.

"Where is Emma?"

"She left."

Again.

Without you, I feel broke.

Like I'm half of a whole.

Without you, I've got no hand to hold.

Without you, I feel torn.

Like a sail in a storm.

Without you, I'm just a sad song.


	10. I Think I'm Just Scared

**HELD ONTO YOU**

A/N: Too angtsy for your liking? tehehe... It's swendgame. I promise. I'll be away again. Job and all. But 4 more chapters to go and I'll get it done before I leave. ;)

Please listen to If You're Gone by Matchbox 20.

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

I think I've already lost you

I think you're already gone

I think I'm finally scared now

And you think I'm weak, I think you're wrong

I think you're already leaving

Feels like your hand is on the door

I thought this place was an empire

And now I'm relaxed and I can't be sure

 _Flashback_

 _The blonde walked up to a stool at the bar counter. "Hey, Rick." She greeted the bartender before taking her seat. The said man behind the counter nodded at her with a knowing smile, taking note of the detective's usual. Emma looked around the bar, looking for familiar faces then she glanced at her bandaged arm, suspended by a white sling. She wiggled her fingers slowly, trying to get rid of the slight numbness._

" _How's your hand?" Neal took a seat next to the blonde before tapping on Emma's bandaged arm._

" _Ouch, you bitch!" Emma yelped loudly and withdrew her arm away from the man. "Shit, are you trying to kill me, dude?!"_

" _Nah, you'll live." Neal laughed at his best friend. Emma sent him a death-glare. "Chill, can't you handle a little crack, sprain and scratch? Is the bullet still in there though?" Neal asked derisively and the blonde scoffed._

" _You're taking over my damn case."_

" _So, you heard."_

" _Of course, you idiot! I've been working on that case for months."_

" _We. We've been working on it together for months but you got injured. What are we supposed to do? Taylor needs you take a break, so…"_

" _Taylor is an asshole. Where were you last week? I was shot and you weren't even there! Suddenly, you get to take over the case. He gives you the whole mission! How is that fair to me?!"_

" _I am sorry, Emma. Something came up. I thought that Taylor already told you."_

" _Where have you been, dude?"_

" _Why? You already miss me?"_

" _Miss you my ass." The man laughed. "Really, man! Tamara was looking for you. She called me last night asking for your whereabouts. I told her that I had no idea. Three days ago was the last time I'd seen both of you when I was still hospitalized. I think she was so pissed off because you didn't pick up your phone at all. So you'd better do something about it."_

" _An old friend came to visit me."_

" _Right." Emma scoffed at her friend. "I never thought that you have an old friend. Do I know the person?" Neal looked at the blonde knowingly. He ignored her question._

" _Hey Emma, have you ever thought about our hometown?"_

" _What?"_

" _You know, thinking about going back there maybe for a visit or something?"_

" _What are you talking about?" Emma looked away from the man. "I left that place years ago. Why would I want to go back there?"_

" _Well, we still have our family there, right? There are people who we're still connected to. Don't you have someone you cared so much about, Emma?"_

" _Nah, I think David is good on his own."_

" _Are you sure there's only David?"_

" _What are you trying to say, Neal? Why suddenly you are so interested with that place?" Emma glared at her friend. "You know, you have been kind of weird for months now. You keep on missing for days or even weeks. What are you not telling me?" Neal laughed softly._

" _I don't know. It just that sometime I feel like I'm missing something in my life. I wished that I could turn back time and fix all the wrong things I've done."_

" _Oh damn! You're having a second thought. Is this about your wedding? I'm calling Tamara right away. I think she is just done with her shift and already on the way here." Neal laughed at Emma's dramatic expression._

" _No, I'm serious, Emma." Neal said as he stared at the woman. "I'm not having second thought about my wedding at all though it does give me the chill but this is really not about that. I am actually thinking about our hometown. I am thinking about the people there. We have our family there, Emma."_

" _Stop this bullshit, Neal." Emma said as she stood up. "I don't know what is going on in your head right now but I am all fine and I don't need to be reminded about that place. I don't have anything else there." Emma gave a noticeable bitter smile at her friend. "Good luck with the mission anyway, dude." The blonde then walked away leaving Neal alone and little did she know that it was going to be the last time she ever saw him._

* * *

 _It was a cloudy day and Emma purposely showed up late at the funeral. She really could not face anyone at that moment but as Neal's best friend, she just wanted to pay her last respect. She decided to stand quite far at the back, secluding herself from everybody else, watching the ceremony through her dark shades but was not really paying any attention to what the pastor was saying. The young detective sighed with her fists clenched at her sides, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to leave her eyes. Emma silently cursed herself and kept blaming herself for Neal's death. "How could you do this to me, man? It is supposed to be me." She mumbled under her breath with a malevolent grin. "Why on earth do you have to go first? Neal, you're an idiot." Emma finally could not keep her tears from spilling out. She removed her shades and wiped her tears away. She hated funeral. She took a glance at the people around her, hoping that nobody saw her teary eyes and then she saw her superior. For some reason, she wished that she could punch the man on his face._

 _The detective took a deep breath and walked away from everyone. She walked slowly through the trail of the cemetery until she reached the end of the cemetery and halted at the side of a road. The lonely woman blank stared at the road before her. All she could feel at that point of time was completely nothing. Emptiness. Emma dried her eyes before putting on her shades and adjusted her sight, squinting at the view in front of her. She turned around to look at the ceremony that seemed to be already ended and all the people were leaving. The detective really wanted to avoid her colleagues, thus she decided to get away from there. Her step was stopped abruptly when she saw a man, a familiar man in a black suit, with a cane and a black hat standing at the far end of the cemetery, looking at Neal's funeral._

 _Emma observed the man for a while before deciding to approach the man. The detective walked subtly towards the man, hoping that the man would not notice her reaching him._

" _Emma?"_

 _The blonde was startled by the familiar voice. She slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice._

" _Tamara." Emma was so hesitated to say anything at all. She walked up to the other woman instead and hugged her. "I am really sorry."_

" _I am sorry too, Emma. I know how close you two were." Emma had been avoiding that the whole day, people offering their condolences. The blonde pulled away from Tamara._

" _Tammy, we were good friends but we even hardly talked to each other lately…"_

" _He cared so much about you. About a week ago he said something about visiting his hometown and how much he wanted to drag you along with him." There was a sad smile on Tamara's face. "I am thinking of visiting his hometown to tell his family about his… Maybe you can come…"_

" _No!" Emma quickly interrupted Tamara's words. "I am really sorry, Tamara. I am not going back there. I am sorry." The tall blonde turned around and walked away, leaving the startled woman. Emma walked as fast as she could, trying to avoid any familiar face along her way. However, she was hoping that she would bump into the man with the walking cane from a while ago. The blonde rushed to the spot where the man was standing but clearly he was already gone._

" _Who the hell are you?"_

* * *

Emma got out of her car that was parked by the side of the road right in front of the Mills' mansion. She stared at the luxurious mansion for a while before walking towards the front porch. The blonde pushed on the doorbell and stepped back from the door, putting her hands inside the pockets of her jeans. She heard the click of the door being opened.

"Hi Dr. Mills." Emma greeted the woman in front of her with an awkward smile. Somehow, she was glad that it was not Regina.

"Good morning, Emma. Please come in." The lady said politely.

"No, it's okay. Can you just tell Henry that I'm waiting for him in my car?"

"Sure." Emma noticed that there was a pause before the older woman responded and realized that Cora was observing her gestures.

"Thanks." The blonde said with a smile.

"Wait Emma. How are you?" Emma was about to turn around when Cora stopped her. The young detective inhaled deeply but tried to be subtle in front of the matured woman.

"I'm fine, ma'am. Thanks."

"That is good. I was just wondering because you didn't stay for dinner last night."

"Oh sorry, I just had something to do last night and I didn't want to bother you all."

"That is ridiculous, dear. You're always welcome in this house." Emma chuckled nervously at that. "Plus, I'm very sure that you're not on duty or anything. It was so obvious that Regina was not amused by your sudden disappearance last night." Suddenly the blonde felt like her heart was pounding so hard and her stomach was in knots. "I know my daughter so well more than she knows herself. When I looked at her expression last night, I realized that I've seen it before." Cora looked at Emma and the blonde felt so anxious. "It was the same exact expression that she had ten years ago when you left the town."

Emma eyes widened. Cora smiled and gently took the blonde's hands into hers. "Emma, you know my daughter too well. You've been her best friends for years and I was so grateful that you were always there for her. Regina, she is the kind of person who would put everyone else's happiness before her own. I'm so proud of her but I really don't want to see her getting hurt." There were tears in the lady's eyes and Emma was so speechless at that moment. "Emma, this past few days were blessed. You make my daughter happy. Since you're here in this town, I get to see her beautiful smile that she used to have a long time ago."

Emma smiled and she was so touched. "Dr. Mills, I don't think that I…"

"Yes, it is you, Emma. You've been protecting her and she cares about you all the time. So, please talk to her. I always know that you're the right person." The doctor said as she gave Emma's hands a gentle squeeze.

"Dr. Mills, I really don't know if I could do the right thing." Emma felt defeated.

"I know you, Emma. I trust you." Cora patted the younger woman hands before letting go of them. Emma looked at Cora but was way to speechless to say a word.

"Good morning, Emma." Henry's voice interrupted the silence.

"Hey, kid." Emma smiled at her son.

"Hello, Henry." Cora said to her grandson before pulling him into a hug. "Have you had your breakfast?"

"Yes, I'm ready to go now." Henry beamed at Emma. "Emma, aren't you going to say hi to mom first before we go?"

"What? No, I think…" Emma stuttered and she noticed the expectant look on Cora's face. "Maybe later, Henry. We don't want to be late. I mean, I have the whole day. I'll see Regina later today and I'll talk to her." Emma said to her son but the last sentence seemed to be directed to Cora instead.

"Goodbye, grandma." Henry said to Cora happily and before pulling Emma by the hand towards the blonde's bug.

"Have a great day, you two." Cora said to the mother-son duo and Emma gave the lady a small smile.

"Thanks." And she meant it.

"Mom told me that you two had a sleepover at your summer house." Emma could feel the flush spreading up her neck and into her face. "That was so unfair. I want to have a sleepover at the lake house as well."

"She told you that? A sleepover?"

"Yes, because she wasn't home yesterday morning and you didn't come to pick me to school as well. So, I asked her last night." Henry turned to look at his blonde mother. "And she had the same reaction as you did just now." Emma glanced down at her son quizzically. "Her face turned red. She was like blushing just like yours just now." Emma eyes widened and again she felt the hot flush on her face.

"I do not blush!"

"Yes, you're blushing now! Look into the mirror, Emma!" Henry pointed at the rear-view mirror.

"Whatever, kid. Shut up." Emma could really feel that her face was burning. _Oh who am I kidding?_

"So what were you two doing there?"

"What?" The blonde recalled the memorable night she had with Regina at the summer house and she was sure it was something that should not be shared with a little boy.

"I asked what were you and mom doing there, in the summerhouse. Mom didn't want to answer me just now."

"Kid, how could you be asking that to your mothers?"

"What is wrong with that question, Emma?" Henry asked his blonde mother exasperatedly.

"Well, it is not wrong but… You know what? Don't ask anything."

"You are really weird."

"Shut up, kid."

* * *

"Wow, he said that? That sounded so thought-provoking. I knew that Graham is such a creeper." Ruby blathered while sweeping the sidewalk in front of the diner. The blonde who was sitting on a bench nodded at her tall friend. That morning, when Emma walked into the diner, Ruby decided to stay outside instead. She really did not want to cause anymore weird hassle with her blonde friend in there. So, after she made Emma her usual breakfast and put them in a paper bag, the two women walked out of the diner. The blonde took a sip of her coffee and gazed at the road in front of her. "But I think whatever that Graham guy said…" Ruby trailed off when she noticed a glare that Emma directed towards her.

"What? I think what he said was sort of true." Ruby shrugged off, ignoring the blonde's glare. "I totally understand him. He was just being protective over his, well, bride-to-be."

"I know, Rubes. You don't have to tell me that."

"Well, I don't know much about the guy but I guess he isn't the bad guy. I mean, he loves Regina so much…" Ruby said in a nonchalant manner and Emma groaned at that. "And he cares about Henry. That is definitely a good thing."

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!" Emma stood up with her hands on either side of her waist.

"I'm trying here, Emma. But the guy has more points than you."

"Hey, what do you mean? I have so many points as well." The blonde said with so much smugness and the tall brunette laughed so hard at that.

"Oh yeah? And what are they?" Ruby walked up to her friend. "Are they include tongues and stuffs?" The brunette teased her and Emma was so annoyed by her friend. They did not aware that there was a man standing behind them.

"Excuse me, Detective Swan." The man's voice suddenly interrupted the two friends. The women turned to look at the owner of the voice and both of them were so surprised to see Professor Gold. The man eyed at the two women and Emma could not help noticing his judgmental mien.

"Yes, sir." Emma said with raised eyebrows.

"Neal, he worked with you."

"Yeah, sort of." Emma hesitated. "He wasn't my partner but we were in the same unit."

"I heard the story. He replaced you in a mission." The blonde stunned upon hearing the man's words. "You were injured and he had to replace you in a mission that took away his life." He shook his head. "Such incompetent fools. All of you." The man spat. Emma's eyes widened at that and she could feel the rage bubbling in her chest. Ruby glimpsed at her friend, worried that Emma would beat the hell out the devious old man.

"I wonder what he was thinking when he decided to leave the town back then. What an embarrassment!"

"Well, you kicked him out, remember?" Emma raised her voice. Her hands clenched in fist by her side.

"Emma, don't." Ruby placed her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess we all made mistakes, right detective?" He asked and Emma stammered. "Anyway, he's gone now. Maybe someone needs to prove me that I was wrong." He sniggered at the blonde. "Prove me that I was wrong when I kicked him out. Prove me that your knack is worth his life. Prove me that he didn't regret his past life." Professor Gold said in a mocking way but the blonde noticed his gloomy appearance that he failed to hide

"What an asshole." Ruby murmured. Emma kept on watching the man until he disappeared into the diner. The blonde felt like she was being stabbed and she wished that she could defend Neal's honor. Somehow, she also pitied the old man. Emma already had too much drama to deal with.

* * *

The blonde stood in front of the city hall and tried to remember how it was like when she last saw it. After a while, Emma took a deep breath before walked up to its entrance, flashing her NYPD badge to one of the security guards who nodded at her knowingly with a small smile before the detective could say anything to the man. "Thanks." She said to the man and she wondered if the guards knew her at all. She walked through the entrance of the city hall into its main lobby, ignoring all of the curious eyes on her. The blonde noted the reception counter after she stepped into the lobby and walked towards it.

The receptionist behind the counter immediately noticed the blonde's presence. Emma realized that there was no one else in the main lobby. She assumed that it was most probably because of the lunch hour. The raven-haired receptionist with a notable streak of white hair and a pair of thick glasses perched on her nose smiled as the blonde approached her.

"Good afternoon, Detective Swan." The receptionist stood up when Emma reached the counter. Emma returned the smile despite her surprise when the woman mentioned her name. She glanced at the counter top where a desk sign displayed the receptionist's name. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" The woman asked politely but Emma noticed the flash of a small grin on her face.

"Well hi there ma'am, I mean Mrs. Feinberg." Emma was suddenly interrupted by the receptionist's sudden burst of laughter. The blonde looked quizzically at the woman who had one hand on her stomach while laughing out loud.

"I'm really sorry. There goes my formality. Gosh, I shouldn't laugh but I just can't help it. Regina will kill me if she saw me right now." The woman tried hard to calm down and talked between her laughter. Emma knew that she should be offended by the receptionist's action but she somehow felt amused by the woman's laugh. There was something familiar about the woman. "By the way, it's Clara, Detective Swan." She pressed on the last two words.

"Excuse me?"

"You can call me Clara, honey. You don't have to be so formal now." Clara walked around the counter and stood next to Emma. The blonde turned to face the other woman. "Wow, it has been so long, hasn't it?" Clara said in awe.

"I think so." Emma said confusedly and the woman in front of her snickered. "No, actually I mean… I wanted to ask… Do we know each other?" Once again Clara burst out laughing. _What the fuck is wrong with this woman._ Emma really was speechless at that moment and although she felt annoyed, she found that Clara had a contagious laugh. It was so familiar. If only she was not so nervous to see Regina, she would be laughing as well.

"Of course I know you, honey. You're Emma Swan." Clara inhaled deeply and shook her head. "Well as I said it has been so long since we last met anyway. When you last saw me, I was kind of blonde. Or maybe this glasses. I'm wearing them to match my purse." The raven-haired woman removed her thick glasses from her face and she offered her hand to the blonde. Emma reached out her hand and shook the woman's hand tentatively. "Hi Emma. It's me, Clara Feinberg and we used to be in the same art class back then." The woman said with a familiar grin. The blonde's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Holy cow. The devil!" Emma said before pulling her old friend into a hug.

"Yeah, the devil. Holy cow." Clara said returning the hug and gave a small pat on the taller woman's shoulder. She pulled herself from the embrace and looked up at the blonde woman's face. "You haven't changed at all, Emma. Well, you used to be that bothersome brat but you really are the same you." Emma chuckled at that.

"I doubt that, Clara."

Clara walked around the counter to get her faux fur cardigan on her chair and her purse behind the counter. "If you're looking for Regina, I think she is coming down now. We're planning to get our lunch together. You can come with us. I don't think Regina would mind." The woman sniggered.

"I am… not… How do you know that I'm looking for Regina?"

"Why else are you here for?" Clara raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"I don't know." Emma stammered. "This is a city hall. I could be looking for somebody else. The mayor for example." Then the blonde was again interrupted by Clara's brash laughter.

"Oh don't give me that, Emma. I know both of you too well."

"What is going on here? Clara, I could hear your voice from miles away." Emma was stunned by the familiar alluring voice and the clicking sounds of heels came approaching the pair at the reception counter. "What are you…?" Regina's voice trailed off when she saw the blonde.

"Regina. Your best friend is here." Clara beamed at the brunette.

"Yes, I can see her clearly, Clara." The brunette said to the receptionist but her gaze was fixed on the blonde.

"Hey." Emma greeted her friend with her witty smile.

"Clara, why don't you go first? Kathryn is already waiting for us there."

"Sure." Clara eyed at the two friends questioningly. "I see you guys there." She said with a singsong voice as she walked up to the exit of the city hall, waving happily at the two women.

"What a ray of sunshine"

"Yes she is." The brunette said as she placed her hand gently on Emma's arm making the blonde shivered at the sudden contact. "Now, come with me." The smaller woman pulled Emma effortlessly by her arm and the blonde compliantly let Regina led her walking across the lobby hallway towards one of the elevators and the corner end of the lobby.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked when they were in front of the elevator. There was a ding sound of the elevator immediately after Regina pressed the button to go up.

"My office." The brunette said as she walked into the elevator, not even looking at the other woman.

"Uhm, okay." Emma diffidently walked into the elevator. _Alone in Regina's office. There is no one else there except for Regina. This can't be good. What the fuck, Swan!_

"We're here." Regina's sultry voice suddenly pulled the blonde out from her wayward trance. The blonde realized that she did not even notice the elevator was moving at all and the sound it made when it arrived at the top floor of the city hall. She cursed herself for having all the unnecessary thoughts. Emma quickly walked out of the elevator and followed the brunette walking through a hallway towards one of the doors at the end of the hallway. When they reached in front of a door with a sign that displayed 'City Attorney', Regina swiped her access card over the door panel and pushed the door opened.

"What are you doing here?" The smaller woman asked when she walked into her office.

"I want to see you." Emma followed the other woman, leaving the office door wide opened because, well, she believed that her willpower was not strong enough and Regina's pencil skirt was hugging the brunette's bottom perfectly. _And is it legit to wear such revealing white blouse in the city hall?_

"Emma, if you want to talk about that night, I don't think that this is the appropriate place."

"What else do you think I'm here for? And for God's sake, Regina, where is the appropriate place to talk about this then?"

"I don't know. How about your place or…"

"Oh, so we can end up doing the thing we did again and then try to talk it through all over again and let it all happens again and again? Regina, we need to get over this."

The brunette sighed deeply. "Why did you leave my house last night?"

"Why do you think? I just thought the conversation was over since Graham was there and being an asshat. I really feel like punching him in the face."

"Wow! That really sounds like you. The thing that you do, right? You were right when you said that you've never changed at all."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, punching someone in the face then run away. So classic. It is so you."

"I didn't run this time, 'Gina. Please. I tried hard this time to get here. To finally say this to you. I'm really sorry. I know what I did in the past was so wrong but I was hoping you can give me a chance. I don't know what is it in the future for us but I'm sure that I want to be with you. I'll figure out how to make thing works for this, for us. I'll find a way to make things right again." The brunette peered up to look at Emma and she was entranced by the glistened green eyes. "Please, Regina, I love you." Regina could feel a huge lump in her throat and she just could not hold back the tears anymore. Emma walked up to the smaller woman. "Please Regina, say something."

"Why?" Regina hated herself for being so weak in front of the blonde. "Why now? Why after ten years you decided to show up and tell me all of this? Why it has to be right before my wedding? Do you know that you're messing with my mind right now?"

Emma faltered. She searched for the right word to say, but she found nothing. "You chose Daniel."

"What? Gosh Emma, it was just a stupid prom. You said that, remember?"

"I'm not talking about the prom. Obviously, you loved Daniel. You chose him. You were married to him. What was I supposed to do back then?"

"Emma, you're an idiot. Did you even bother to stay after what you did to Daniel that night? For God's sake, you punched him in the face and you just ran away! Did you bother to say anything to me after that? Have you ever thought that things would be different if you chose to stay and talk to us?!"

"I…"

"Why did you leave the town back then, Emma?"

"You already know it. I got pregnant and I didn't want to trouble anyone."

"Of course, then you decided to run away again. Why did you leave your son? How could you do that? The boy was suffering…" Regina could not continue her words and she could not hold her tears from falling anymore. The brunette was sobbing and Emma had the urge to pull the smaller woman into her arms.

"Regina…"

"Don't you Regina me! He was so small. He fought for his life. He needed his mother but you chose to go." Regina snapped at the blonde.

"Gina, I'm so sorry. I was so young and stupid and reckless. I know. But he was dying." There was a pause and Emma looked at Regina with a dejected expression. "He seemed like he was dying. I couldn't bear looking at him like that. I didn't think that I could do anything for him. Yeah, I left him to die… I was so selfish."

"Yes, and you still are!"

"Regina, please. I'm trying. Why aren't you giving me the chance?" The blonde begged as she walked slowly towards the brunette.

"Emma, no! You don't get it!" Regina raised her voice and instantaneously took a step back every time Emma stepped towards her.

"Then, make me. Make me understand!" The blonde kept on walking up to the other woman.

"I just can't, Emma." Regina shook her head as she took another step back.

"Why? I'm trying here, Regina. Just tell me why! What is wrong with me?"

"It's not you, Emma. It's me. You don't…"

"Damn it, Regina! Just tell me…!"

"Because I'm scared!"

"What?" Emma stunned upon hearing the brunette's words.

"Because I am scared of you." Regina said almost whispering but Emma could hear every each word clearly.

"You're scared of me?"

"Mom, are you okay?" The two women were so into their heated conversations, they did not realized that someone was actually standing outside of the room and listening to them. A cracked familiar voice startled the two women and they turned their faces to look at the person.

"Is it true, Emma?" The boy continued as he stood at the doorway.

"Henry." Regina's eyes widened in fear.

"Hey kid, how long have you been there?" Emma tried to smile at the boy but she knew that she was failing miserably.

"Baby, what are you doing here?" Regina walked over to boy and bent down to face her son. She was so heartbroken to see tears pooling in his eyes. "Henry?" She placed her hands reassuringly on his shoulders.

"I met Clara and she told me that you're with Emma here. So, I came here." The boy said with a firm tone and he looked over Regina's shoulder to see his other mother.

"Is it true, Emma?" The boy suddenly raised his voice and both women were so surprised by that. Regina straightened herself up and turned around to look at Emma. "Is it true that you left me to die?" Henry directed the question to Emma but both of his mothers were dumbfounded. Regina wished she could say something and she started to blame herself. Emma noticed the expression of guilt on Regina's face and she knew what was on the brunette's mind.

"Oh Henry." Regina was trembling but she tried to reach out to her son. The boy promptly stepped away from his brunette mother. Regina was hurt and Emma really despised that. The blonde despised herself to be exact.

"Kid, it's not like that." Emma said in a concerned voice.

"Mom never told me about that. " Henry looked at Regina with beseeching eyes and Regina covered her mouth with her hands as she tried to hold herself from crying in front of his son. The brunette turned her face to look at Emma.

"Regina has nothing to do with this, kid. I… It was my fault."

"So, it is true. You left me to die. You're awful. The… the worst mom on earth!" The boy yelled at the blonde before turning away from his mothers and ran out of the office.

"Henry, wait." Emma called up to her son but he was already out of his parents' sights. The blonde instinctively ran across the office towards the door to get her son. "Kid!" She yelled as she got into the hallway and she saw that the boy was already walking into an elevator. "Hey stop!" The blonde was about to move towards the elevator when she heard her name being called.

"Emma, wait!" Emma turned to look at Regina and her heart sunk upon seeing the tears in Regina's sad eyes. "He needs time." Regina said in a calm tone but Emma noticed the slight uneasiness.

"He just walked into an elevator alone!" Emma was frantic.

"Well, he is used to it and he found you in your high sky apartment in New York all by himself, remember?" Emma recognized the sarcasm in Regina's voice.

"Regina, this is not the time to be…"

"Just stop it, Emma. I can't do this right now. I'll talk to Henry at home." Regina said wearily. The brunette closed the door behind her. She was tired and Emma could see the exhaustion. "You should go home as well. You do know your way out of here, don't you?" The brunette walked pass Emma without looking at the blonde, leaving the muddled woman alone in the empty hallway. The blonde watched Regina walking all the way through the hallway until she disappeared into an elevator.

 _What on earth just happened, Swan?_

And I think you're so mean, I think we should try

I think I could need this in my life

And I think I'm scared that I know too much

I can't relate and that's a problem I'm feeling

If you're gone maybe it's time to come home

There's an awful lot of breathing room but I can hardly move


	11. Always With You

**HELD ONTO YOU**

Lawson – Where my love goes ;P

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

Wherever you go, I'll follow

Don't worry about tomorrow

I will be in your shadow

Walking right beside you everyday

I'll be the one to save ya

When I put my pen to paper

Feels like it brings us closer

Even when you're so far away

She stared at the door. She was just a baby when Ingrid left the apartment and brought her along to live in a new place. Emma could not remember much about the apartment that her brother was currently living in.

The blonde was hesitated at first but then she knocked on the door to David's apartment. She heard indistinct voices coming from inside the apartment. She was so anxious and she really felt like running away but she already decided to disclose everything to her brother. She fisted her hands that were so clammy. After the eventful meeting that she had with Regina and Henry yesterday, she realized that she needed helps. Cora was the best person who she could think of but she just needed to avoid the Mills clan at that moment. _Yeah, avoidance. So typical Swan._ She wished that her mother was around. Emma realized that she was so lost when her mother was gone. She could not sleep well the whole night thinking about Henry and of course his other mother. Emma had texted Regina a few times asking about Henry last night but the brunette only replied to her once saying that the boy was fine. Emma called Regina but her call was ignored. Therefore, when the blonde woke up almost noon in her bed, she felt so gloomy. So lonely just like what she used to feel for the past ten years.

The blonde threw her head back and sighed loudly. Then, she heard the clicking sound of the door being opened.

"Hey Emma. What's up?" David appeared with Neil who was sleeping soundly in his arms.

"Hey, can I come in?"

"Sure, come on in." David pushed open the door wider and he stepped aside to make way for Emma to pass through. Emma walked pass her brother and walked into the apartment. Once inside, she stood there in the living room of the apartment while David closed the door. She studied the whole place. The apartment was not as immense as hers in New York but it was neat, comfy and unlike hers, it had the vibe of a real home.

"So beautiful." She said almost whispering.

"Nah, it can't be as beautiful as yours." David said with a smile. Emma turned to look at her brother and returned the smile. David walked across the room to a baby crib and put his son into the crib.

"Trust me. It is so homely." She said softly and she was sure that it was unheard by anyone.

"Hi Emma. You're here." The blonde looked up to a flight of stairs in the apartment to see the owner of the voice who was walking down the stairs.

"Hey MM." The pixie-haired brunette walked up to her friend and gave her a hug. "I hope that I am not disturbing your afternoon."

"What? Of course no!" Mary-Margaret pulled away from the hug and looked at Emma, her hands were still on Emma's arms. "I've been waiting for you to actually come and visit us. You've been in this town for like… how many days now?" Mary-Margaret asked with a notable quizzical look on her face as she walked towards her kitchen.

"I got here Saturday night." Emma reminded her friend and followed the other woman.

"Saturday night?" Mary-Margaret looked at Emma, surprised. "Today is Thursday. That is like six days ago, Emma. I've been waiting for you for like six days." The pixie-haired lady said in a scornful tone. Emma laughed at her friend and Mary-Margaret glared at her. "You hanged out with Ruby and August way too much. And you spent so much time with Henry and Regina as well. That is so unfair."

"Yeah, so much time with Regina." David interrupted with a mischievous snicker. Emma gave him a death-glare and elbowed him lightly on his arm when he came to stand next to the blonde. "What? I was telling the right thing." The man tilted his head towards his sister with a comical expression. He noticed the tinge of pink on the woman's face. "Are you blush…?"

"Shut the fuck up, David!" Emma hissed at her brother.

"Uh-uh, come to think of it, you and Henry are so close. It kind of odd. I mean I totally understand that you're always with Regina because you two have been best-friends since forever." Mary-Margaret rambled while preparing drinks at the kitchen island. David stole a glance at his sister from the corner of his eyes and saw that his sister was trying to look away from the couple to hide the blush on her cheeks. The man sneered silently. "But Henry just knew you. I totally don't understand when that boy decided to look for you in New York all by himself. I mean, it is great that he found you and dragged you back here." Mary-Margaret gave a pointed look at the blonde and Emma sighed deeply. "But what gave him the idea to do that? I am sure that Regina was so against it." _Shit, I totally forgot about the culprit behind the Operation Swan-Queen._

"I've been thinking about that too. How did Henry find you? I really don't get it." The couple looked at the blonde with a similar curious expression. Emma then realized that she could not get away from them anymore. She had to tell them the truth. She promised David that she would tell him everything. _Here goes nothing._

"Yeah, I am actually here to… well, to tell you about that." Emma chuckled nervously. "Maybe you want to sit first, MM." The blonde directed at the brunette who was pouring coffee into a cup. Mary-Margaret looked at her friend with a perplexed expression but complied anyway with the suggestion. "And we might need something that is much stronger than coffee."

The couple looked at each other before turning to look at Emma.

"This isn't going to be easy. For me, at least."

* * *

"Seriously, I am trying to understand what you just told us, Emma."

"It doesn't make sense." Emma rolled her eyes upon hearing Mary-Margaret's words.

"Trust me, I had problem believing it too. Especially when Henry came knocking on my door for the first time." The blonde chuckled but was met with the couple's glares. "What? It's true!"

"All these years while you were away, your son has been living in the same town with us and we had no clue at all. Emma, this is not something that we can joke about. I have a nephew! But nobody had the courtesy to tell me that. The Mills have been keeping it from me." David said with exasperation. "Not even our mom? She never mentioned anything about it to me. I can't believe this." The man shook his head and Emma could see clearly that her brother was so fuming.

"Look, David. I know that you're so pissed off right now. I am really sorry. It was my fault." David tried to look away from the two women. "It is my fault still. I told every each one of them, mom, and Dr. Mills to keep it as a secret from the whole town and that included you. I think they still respect my option up until now. They believed that I will come back here." Emma sighed. "Regina… she…" The blonde trailed off. "Regina and Daniel had no idea at all. Until I left, again, leaving Henry when he was just a baby, almost dying." She whispered the last two words.

"Oh Emma." Emma noticed the sympathetic look that Mary-Margaret gave her and she hated that. She made stupid mistakes, so she did not need sympathy.

"You left him. You left me. You left your family." David stood up from his seat at the counter island. "You know what? You reminded me of dad. He walked away when he felt like it and you're definitely daddy's little girl." Emma was caught off guard by her brother's words, obviously stung by his words but too dumbstruck to reply a thing.

"David!" Mary-Margaret exclaimed as she looked at her husband with furrowed eyebrows. "Calm down. It was all in the past. You don't have to say that. Your sister needs you now." She placed her hand gently on the man's arm. "Let's just talk." David looked at his wife with his sad eyes and sighed.

"Yeah, I am so sorry. I shouldn't acting like that. I am sorry, Emma." He shook his head as he sat down next to his wife. Mary-Margaret smiled at him.

"No, I totally understand. I mean, what I did was so wrong. I actually convinced mom to do exactly as I told her. And that was so unfair to you. She was our mother after all and you needed her as well. I was being selfish. I totally get it that you're so pissed off and I think I deserved that."

"No, Emma. You don't deserved that." Mary-Margaret scowled at her husband, pressing her last word. David huffed and mouthed 'sorry' to his sister who just chuckled at him. "You had gone through a lot all by yourself and you deserved something good." The pixie-haired lady reached out her hands to the blonde's and placed them firmly on Emma's. "Remember, you have us. You have your family now. You have to know that I am so happy to have you as my family." David looked at his wife affectionately and he slowly placed his hand on top of the women's.

"Welcome home, Emma." He said to his sister. "I'm glad that you're back."

"Thanks, guys. I really don't know what to do." Emma smiled at them. "Truth be told, I was scared and I didn't want to be sympathized. I ran away because of that. I was avoiding all the pity looks that everyone tend to give me if I got into trouble."

"Yeah, I know you damn well, girl." The man raised his hand that was on the women's and briefly pointed his finger to Emma. He snickered and Emma rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"David!" His wife hit the man on his shoulder, removing her hands from Emma's in the process.

"It's okay, MM. David is right. He knows me too damn well." Emma let out a soft laugh.

"Sure but you don't have to be scared anymore, girl. We are going to work this out. I promise you. You are not alone anymore. I'll be here whenever you need me." David told his sister reassuringly and Emma was so touched. Mary-Margaret nodded with a small smile plastered on her face.

"Yeah, maybe we can talk with Dr. Mills after this and Regina about some arrangement with Henry and… Gosh, I still can't believe this!" Mary-Margaret suddenly raised her voice in awe. The two other people turned to look at her. "You and Regina. I knew it!" David laughed at that. "Why are you laughing? Don't tell me that you were part of this as well." Mary-Margaret frowned at her husband who just shrugged her off.

"You knew? Please, you seemed so oblivious." Emma rolled her eyes.

"I've been suspecting something about the two of you ever since high school." Suddenly, the pixie-haired brunette gasped dramatically. "Damn, was it my fault that I couldn't shut my mouth that night?"

"What?"

"That night in the Granny's, I was so excited that Daniel and Regina were going to prom night together that I actually said something that I shouldn't in front of you." Emma noticed the expression on Mary-Margaret's face and it was full of guilt. "You were about to ask her to be your prom date, weren't you?" David grinned when he noticed that his sister's face was turning red.

"Well… I wasn't…" Emma stuttered and looked at her brother who was grinning. "Yeah, screw it. You know what? Yup, I was about to ask her to the prom. It took me everything that I had but I finally had the guts to meet her that night. But I guess, I was being stupid again."

"Oh no, Emma. I am so sorry."

"No really. It wasn't your fault. You had no idea."

"I should've known. I could see that there was something off about you when Regina was around you but, yeah, you're right that I was so oblivious about it." Mary-Margaret realized that David was trying to hold his laughter from her. "David, you knew this right? You'd been keeping it from me as well." Suddenly, they were interrupted by the sound of a crying baby. All three of them turned to look at the direction of the baby crib where baby Neil was sleeping in. "Neil has woke up." Mary-Margaret was about to move when David stopped her.

"No, I think that is my call. Let me see him."

"Are you trying to escape from this conversation, David?" The pixie-haired woman looked at her husband disbelieved. Emma laughed at the couple. "You knew something about your sister and you didn't tell me a bit."

"Sort of. She is my sister after all." The man chuckled and Emma was amused by her brother. "Back in college, I'd been convincing her the whole night to ask Regina to the prom through a phone. I think I did a pretty well job back then. She finally had the galls to ask her girl." David shrugged his shoulders. "By the way, I think this one time should be a girl-to-girl talk." The man said with a wild smile before walked up to the baby crib.

Mary-Margaret looked into Emma's face and inhaled deeply. "Wow. He took a whole night to encourage you to ask Regina to be your prom date and I screwed it in a second."

"Nah, don't worry about it, MM. Regina deserved Daniel. They deserved each other. She needed someone who could really look after her and not someone who was so reckless and childish like me."

"That is so beautiful. You should let her know about your feelings, Emma. I mean, I know that she's getting married and all, but… Gosh I feel bad. You two are actually so cute together."

"What? But I thought that you like Graham."

"Well, I like him but I like you more. I love you and I love Regina and I want to see both of you to be happy."

"Of course, MM. But Regina is pretty much getting married now and I don't know what chance I have. Things aren't going well between us right now."

"You know, when I said that I love both you and Regina, I really meant it. But please don't be offended. Both of you are so stupid."

"What?" Emma frowned comically.

"Hey I am here, watching television while holding baby Neil and pretending not to listen to your girls' talk. So, just ignore me." David said but he was really being ignored by the women.

"No really. You're both grown adults. Talk to each other. You figure it out." Mary-Margaret said before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Well, that's the thing about talking. We don't do it well." Emma really did not want to mention about the night when she slept with Regina. "I told her." Mary-Margaret leered when she noticed that her friend was blushing. "I told her that… I love her. I just think that it was a wrong move with she's getting married and all."

"I don't think it was a wrong move, Emma. Maybe letting go of Graham is not an option for her. Maybe she isn't sure if you're ever going to stay. You know Regina pretty well, right? She is kind of meticulous. Unlike you, she doesn't do thing bluntly. Well, not as much as you do." The blonde rolled her eyes at that. "The thing that she has with Graham is…" Mary-Margaret paused, thinking. "The thing that they have is already in a long term, they planned the wedding. They planned their future. She feel safe."

"Long term? It was just few months ago." Emma grumbled.

"Yeah, compared to you who had been missing for years. You who ran away from, well, from all of us. Are you sure you won't run away this time? What do you think about Regina's feeling about that?"

Emma baffled. "I… I don't know. She said she was scared… of me." She said under her breath.

Mary-Margaret sighed as she looked at the blonde with a concern look. She placed her hands on the blonde's. "She is not scared of you, Emma. You see, for Regina, Graham means a lot to her. Safe. Security. Uncomplicated. Normal. She needed all that Emma. You were gone. She told me everything about Henry and how she was scared of losing him when he was a baby. Then, there was Daniel. They loved each other so much. Every single day, Regina was so scared of losing him as well. She is scared of losing her loved ones. So, she isn't scared of you. She is scared of the thought of losing you."

"But I'm not running away anymore, MM."

"Then, make Regina see that."

The blonde chuckled. "I should've talk to you a long time ago."

"Yes, you should have." Mary-Margaret had a sad smile on her face. "Listen Emma. This isn't the ending yet. We can still work on it."

"I know, MM. I mean we tried but something happened." _So not going to mention about that night!_ "And it is kinda messy right now and I'm also trying to figure out about that Operation Swan-Queen that Henry has been very thrilled about."

"Oh yeah, so about that Operation Swan-Queen. I can help you looking for the person responsible for it." David interrupted them and Emma was so relieved. The man walked over to the kitchen island where the women was sitting with baby Neil in his arms. "Henry must have had helps from someone, an adult, from this town. I think I can try to get some information from around here."

"Yeah, you're right. I could really use a help for that. I am totally clueless and Henry isn't really helping." The blonde was interrupted by the sudden sound of her phone ringing. She pulled out her phone from the pocket of her leather jacket. "Shit." She was surprised the see Regina's name displayed on the screen. "It's her." The blonde stared at her phone for a while, feeling reluctant to answer the phone where there were two other people in the room watching her.

"Pick it up, Emma." Mary-Margaret advised her. The blonde noticed that her brother made an encouragement expression as well. So, she halfheartedly pushed the 'talk' button before brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Reg…" She could not finish her sentence when suddenly Regina's voice broke in. Emma's heart skipped few beats upon hearing Regina's voice. The brunette was sobbing. "Hey, calm down 'Gina. I'm at David's place." David and Mary-Margaret shared a questioning look as they watched Emma spoken to Regina on the phone. "Yeah, it's okay. Just tell me." After a while, Emma's eyes widened and she had worried written all over her face. "Sure, I'll be over right away." Emma glanced at the couple for few seconds with creased forehead. "Hey, no 'Gina. No, you just stay there. I'm coming over. Just calm down okay. I'll be there and we'll work it out together." The blonde stood up, putting her hand inside a pocket of her leather jacket and frantically searched for her car keys. "Okay, see you later." The blonde ended her conversation and quickly shoved her phone into her pocket while pulling out her car keys from another pocket of her jacket. "I need to go. Henry is gone, again. Regina couldn't find him at school."

"What?" Mary-Margaret eyes widened in horror.

"Let me help you." David offered.

"Sure, but I need to get Regina first. I don't think she is fit to drive anywhere right now."

"Yeah, you go do that. I'll get someone to search some places."

"Right, thanks David." Emma said before walking out of the apartment. _Kid, what the hell are you doing?!_

* * *

The blonde glanced at the brunette next to her as she drove her car on the main street of Storybrooke. Regina had just ended her conversation with David on her phone. "They still couldn't find him?'

"They've been looking for him all over the school and they couldn't find him at all. David said he is going to the bus station right now and the harbor later." She could see the concern on the woman's face and the tears in her eyes. "He was supposed to go to his soccer practice after school. So, I went to his school to pick him up after the practice but he wasn't there. His teacher told me that he didn't show up for practice." The woman sobbed again. "His teacher even said he was unusually quiet in class today."

"Oh, Henry…"

"I knew it. I shouldn't let him go out today. I mean, he was… so upset about yesterday." Regina paused for a while. "Oh God, it was my fault that he ran away again. I am a screw up mother. I really can't do this anymore. If Daniel was here…" The brunette said exasperatedly as she covered her face with her hands. _She is scared of losing her loved ones._ Mary-Margaret's words kept playing in the blonde's mind over and over again. Emma could not take it anymore, so she slowed down her car and pulled over by the side of a road.

"Regina, hey, look at me." Emma pulled Regina's hands and placed then into hers.

"Emma. Henry ran away again! I really have no idea where to look for him anymore."

"Don't worry. We'll find him and he is going to be fine. Trust me because he is a bright kid. He is just like you. Henry is a wonder boy just like..." The blonde's grip on Regina's hands became comfortably firmer but the brunette noted the slight quiver in Emma's voice. "He is just like Daniel. He knows his way around… everything. The kid might be a bit clumsy and thoughtless sometimes and you can blame me for that." The brunette chuckled softly at that and Emma felt her heart fluttered. "I mean, for God's sake, the boy dragged his ass all the way through the states to find me and managed to convince me to come back to this town. Nobody ever manage to do that, not even my brother. Henry is an awesome kid and you are the reason for that."

"I don't know Emma. Ever since Daniel…" Regina sighed deeply. "Ever since Daniel was gone, Henry has been different. He took it very hard I think. They were so close together. I don't know what to do. Daniel was always there from the beginning, when Henry was still barely breathing until his little first step and during his first day at school, Daniel was always there…" Regina sniffled. "And then suddenly Daniel was gone leaving me, this pathetic mother all alone!" The brunette could not hold her tears anymore and burst into cry. Emma could feel the tears welled up in her eyes but she needed to stay strong for the other woman.

"Hey, hey, no 'Gina." Emma leaned forward and pulled the smaller woman into an embrace. "You did great. You're a great mother to him. You don't need anyone to tell you that. Henry loves you so much. I am sure that Daniel told Henry to be a good boy and to cherish his mother." _Because I would._ She gently drew soothing circles on the brunette's back using her hand. Regina sighed softly and her sniffled became quieter. After a while, she pulled herself from the blonde and Emma felt the loss.

"When we adopted him, all of us made sure that we told him the truth when the time was right. So, when henry started asking about his real parents, it was Daniel who would be entertaining him. Daniel always knew what to do and what to say to him. Daniel… He believed that you would come back."

"What did Daniel tell Henry about me?"

"Daniel had been telling Henry about you like you're like some kind of a knight in a shining armor, a fairy-tales' hero. I don't know from where he got that idea anyway." Regina chuckled and Emma smiled at that. "He kept telling Henry that you were out there helping others and you would come back someday to bring back happy endings for everyone including Henry's." Emma realized that Daniel seemed to know what she had been doing for living, a detective.

"Wow, where in fact I am the villain."

"Emma, you're not a villain." Regina frowned.

"Fine, I'm not a villain but if there's a hero, Daniel would be the right one." Suddenly, Emma paused. "I think I know where Henry is now."

* * *

The two women walked together hurriedly through the small trail along the cemetery towards one particular gravesite.

"There he is!" Suddenly, Regina came into a halt. Emma followed the brunette's gaze and she saw Henry sitting next to a tomb not far away from them. The blonde's hunch was right. Henry was visiting Daniel. "Henry!" Regina called her son and was about to walk up to her son when Emma stopped her.

"Wait Regina." The brunette looked at Emma with a bothered expression. "Let me talk to him." Emma said in a reassuring tone. "Please." It took a few seconds before Regina finally nodded at Emma. She somehow understood the cue. After the confrontation that Emma had with Henry, the blonde deserved to have a moment with her son. "Thanks, Regina." Emma said with a small smile. The blonde then walked towards her son and Regina followed her slowly.

"Hey kid." Emma said as she sat down on the ground next to Henry but the boy ignored her. Emma sighed silently before peering over her shoulder to look at Regina who was standing a few steps behind her. She turned her face again to look at her son who was just sitting in front of Daniel's grave. "Look Henry, I know what I did was wrong. I can't fix the thing that I did to you." Emma turned around to look at Regina for a moment. "And your mom." Then, she turned to the boy again. "And Daniel. But I really want to do the right thing now and I really hope that you can give me the chance. Please, Henry." Emma pled.

"I miss him." Henry said almost whispering without looking at Emma. The blonde's eyes widened upon hearing the boy's words. "I don't want to forget him."

"Kid, trust me. You won't."

"What if I do? Everyone forgets, right? You forgot about us. You forgot about me."

"Oh Henry." Emma's heart sunk at that words. She took note that Regina was slowly walked up to the boy. "Hey, look at me." She placed her hands on the boy's shoulder, gently moving him to face her. "I promise you that you will never forget him. He will always be in here." She pointed her finger at Henry's chest.

"In my heart. How do you know?"

"Because truth be told, if you really love a person, you will never forget them. The beauty of love is that it gives you happiness but it also gives you pain and they make you stronger. The wrong part is when you start to feel the pain of loving someone, you try to erase it. I did that. I thought of losing you was painful but I never fought for you and I try to erase the pain. I couldn't, Henry. In fact, it really was killing me inside." The blonde felt the tears welled up in her eyes. "So no matter how I tried, I realized that I couldn't forget. I am still holding onto the person I love so much until now." Emma turned to look at Regina knowingly and the brunette realized that Emma's words were directed at her.

"Daniel, your dad, will always remain in your heart. You will never forget him. The same goes for us, Henry. Knowing that you're here, I will never forget you ever again because I love you so much."

"I love you too, ma." Henry moved forward and hugged his blonde mother tightly. Emma smiled affectionately and she was touched being called 'ma' for the first time.

"Please stop making us worried about you, kid."

"I'm sorry. I just feel like seeing him." The boy said ruefully. "I am so sorry, mom." He said to Regina.

"It is fine, Henry." Regina said as she sat down next to the boy. "As long as you won't do it again."

"I won't. I promise." Henry beamed at her. Emma chuckled and she ruffled the boy's hair.

"Okay, Henry." Emma leaned down towards her son. "We forgive you but you will have to help me with something." Regina looked at the other woman in perplexity. "Who helped you with your Operation Swan-Queen, Henry?" The blonde glanced at Regina for a moment, clearly feeling uncomfortable talking about Operation Swan-Queen in front of the bride-to-be. Henry sighed deeply and he peered up to look at his confused brunette mother.

"It was Professor Gold." Henry paused. "And dad's friend, Neal."

"What?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Regina interrupted the pair.

"Regina, I'll explain to you later." Emma placed her hand on the brunette's then she turned to her son again. "What do you mean?"

"I met this cool guy over a year ago, Neal, he was dad's friend and he came to see dad a few times. I think Neal knew Professor Gold as well because Neal always went to visit him." Emma tried to hide her bewilderment when she heard her friend's name being mentioned by the boy.

"When dad's gone, everyone was so sad. Mom was so sad." Emma's grip on Regina's hand became firmer when the blonde noticed the saddened look on Regina's face. "So, Neal came up with the idea of Operation Swan-Queen. Well, the name was my idea but he was the one giving me the whole idea about the plan. He said that he knew you and he said you could bring back happy ending for mom. But Neal stopped coming, so I went to Professor Gold's place to ask for his help."

"Henry. That is wrong."

"But I really wanted to make mom happy again. She isn't like herself anymore after dad is gone and I've been working hard to make her happy again. But I guess, I failed."

"Oh Henry." Regina pulled the boy into an embraced. Emma leaned forward and pulled both of them into her arms. The three of them stayed like that for a moment. For the first time in her life ever, Emma felt like really holding onto something. It gave her the warmth that she had been missing for years. Then, reluctantly she let go of them.

"Hey, you did not fail anyone at all. Reg… your mom is happy." She looked at Regina affectionately and the other woman returned her smile. "All you need to do is to be your wonderful self and this Operation Swan Queen whatsoever has to be stopped."

Henry's gaze went from his brunette mother to the other. "Okay. I promise that I won't make you guys worried anymore."

"Good." Emma ruffled his hair again. Her green eyes were fixed on Regina's glistening brown ones. "Let's go home now."

* * *

The yellow bug was slowed down and stopped by the side of the road in front of the mansion. It was already dark when they got there. "We're here." The two women got out of the car and Regina rummaged through her handbag to look for the key to the mansion's door. Emma pushed her car seat forward and Henry stepped out of the car.

"You're not coming in with us?" Henry asked the blonde.

"Nah, we're already too exhausted. We should get some rest."

"Are you two still fighting?"

Emma looked at Regina knowingly and the brunette smiled at her. "Nah, we're good, kid."

"Go, Henry. I'll see you inside." Regina told her son and gave him the front door key.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Emma." Henry hugged his blonde mother before letting go and walked up to the front porch.

"Sure, goodnight kid." She waved at the boy.

"Thanks for helping me looking for him."

"Regina, he is my son… our son."

"Anyway about that thing you talked about with Henry just now, are you going to do something about it or do you want me to…"

"Hey, I got that one. You don't have to be worried about it anymore."

"Okay." Regina smiled in relief. "By the way, Emma. I've been meaning to ask you something all this while but I really don't want to hurt you or anything."

"Well, okay." Emma stammered and she could feel her heart was pounding heart in her chest.

"Would you mind telling me who is Henry's real father is?"

"Well, I just thought that maybe you already knew about that." Emma nervously chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose." The blonde looked at the other woman and she inhaled deeply. "Maybe I just need a confirmation."

"It's Neal." Emma said almost whispering.

"He was a good guy." Regina said in a comfort tone.

"He was but it was just a one night thing and… we weren't like that or…" Emma paused and realized what she might get herself into. She recalled the night she had with Regina and felt like she had offended the brunette. "I mean, what I had with Neal was…"

"Emma, it's okay. I understand."

"No, Regina." Emma moved forward into Regina's personal space, placing her hands on the smaller woman's shoulders. "What I had with you was something special. It was real and the thing with Neal was…"

"It wasn't a mistake. I know, Emma." Regina said soothingly. "We have our son, Henry. It is definitely not a mistake." Emma looked into Regina's gleamed brown eyes and she could see sincerity. "Listen, I am going in." Regina said as she gently moved Emma's hands from her shoulders. "You're right, we're all exhausted and you shall get your rest. I'll look after Henry and if there is anything else, I'll let you know, okay?" Regina stepped back from Emma.

"Okay." Emma immediately felt the lost when Regina moved away from her.

"Goodnight Emma." Regina peered over her shoulder to look at Emma.

"Regina, wait."

"Yes, Emma."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Sure." Regina smiled at her before walking away, leaving the blonde alone. Emma watched Regina until she disappeared into her mansion.

"Goodnight 'Gina."

You will never be lonely

Just relax and listen to me

I breathe the air that you breathe

I am always with you in disguise


	12. I Knew I Loved You Then

HELD **ONTO YOU**

Say you won't let go – James Arthur

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

I'm so in love with you

And I hope you know

Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold

We've come so far my dear

Look how we've grown

And I wanna stay with you

Until we're grey and old

Just say you won't let go

Emma was mentally and physically sored and exhausted with everything that happened for the past few days. She needed a very good rest but she could not stop. Not when she already found out the main culprit behind Henry's Operation Swan-Queen. So, when she woke up another day in Storybrooke, for the first time she just knew what to do. It was still so early in the morning but she was already used with her morning routine back in New York. She hopped out of her bed, washed her face, brushed her teeth, put on her sport attire and her running shoes. Looking down at her old shoes she pushed open the front door of her summer house. The predawn light was still showing out when she stepped out from her house.

 _I am gonna make things right._

So she ran. She ran along the trail around the lake. Exhausted but she needed the adrenaline for the things she was planning to do on that day. Because she promised that she would not run away again. She would not leave the town until she was done with her job. She would deal with all of the consequences later but right at that moment, she was just going to run and reminisce.

 _I am not going to run away._

So she just ran, gazing at the October dimly lighted morning sky. The blonde closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh morning breeze. She listened to the sound of glazing yellowish leaves being blown away by the soft gust and fell on the ground. Then, she felt the moment. The laughter that used to be there. When her mother was still there. Thus, she cried.

 _Mom, please give me the strength._

* * *

The blonde stood in front of the building and stared at the clock tower above it. She was not really fond of such academically places ever since she was younger. She hated library because of its restrictions. And of all the libraries in the world, she hated the town's library the most. She could remember that the last time being there was when she had an argument with Daniel and ended up punching the man in his face. However, she really needed to see the particular man who was responsible for Henry's little operation. When she had her breakfast in Granny's that morning, Ruby told her that the man would usually be in the library or his antique shop if he was not at his old mansion. So, when the young detective found that the said old mansion seemed to be unoccupied, the blonde paid a visit to the town's library.

The woman pushed the building's door and stepped into the library. Immediately, she felt like having a déjà vu but she ignored the feeling and kept walking in the library. She looked around at the study space, looking for Professor Gold. She could see some unfamiliar faces but the man was definitely not there. She turned around, considering to go to the man's antique shop when she bumped into a woman. The books that the woman were carrying fell down with a loud thud sound and scattered on the floor, pulling everyone's attention towards them.

"Shit! Sorry, I didn't see you there." She said without looking at the woman. The blonde dropped on one knee, quickly picking up the books on the floor. The other woman chuckled and Emma immediately recognized the voice. She peered up to look at the brown-haired woman in front of her. "Lacey, it's you." Emma stood up after she picked up the books and handed them to the other woman.

"Always the gauche one, aren't you?"

"Yeah, can't get rid of that."

"Sure." Lacey smiled at her. "So, is there anything I can do to help you with?"

"Of course, you work here." Lacey nodded at Emma. "I'm looking for Professor Gold. Do you happened to see him or anything at all?"

"Sure, he is in one of the study rooms upstairs. He has been there since this morning."

"Oh okay. Thanks."

"Emma, wait." Emma noticed the worried look on Lacey's face. "What are you going to…? I mean… Why are you looking for him?"

"I've something that I want to ask him." The blonde smiled knowingly at the other woman. "Don't worry. I won't cause any uproar this time." Emma said with a reassuring tone.

"Good then."

* * *

The young detective walked in silent as she took a peep in every study room that she came across. She was frustrated when she found that all of the rooms were empty until she was standing in front of the door of the last room in the hallway. Unlike the first three rooms, the door was made of teak wood instead of glass. She was really hoping that the man would be in the room. Emma knocked on the door softly before turning the door knob.

"Hello." She opened the door slightly and poked her head through, glancing around the room. The room was vast for one person. There was a large wooden table in the middle of the room and bookshelves against the walls of the rooms while on one side of the wall there was a huge window with well-carved wooden panes. However, the shelves in the room were mostly bookless. The blonde could smell a freshly brewed coffee and there was a coffee machine on a wooden counter at the window. Then she saw a short-haired man with a walking cane standing in front of one of the shelves, placing a book on the shelf neatly. "Professor Gold." Emma stepped into the room and the man turned around to face the blonde.

"Hello, detective." The man smirked at her. "So, I guess you cracked the case." Gold said with calm demeanor as he walked slowly supported with his cane while his other hand was holding a cup of coffee towards one of the chairs at the study table. "But I'm still disappointed because I really thought that a brilliant detective such as yourself needed a little boy's help to solve a teeny-weeny case."

"What the hell? I would totally smash your face if you weren't some handicapped old geezer." The blonde growled as she walked up to the man.

"I would've guessed that." The man said with a sneer. "You're bold just like your son. Or the other way around, I guess." He took a seat on one of the chairs. "Come on. Have a seat. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I don't want to be seated or coffee. I want answers, Gold!"

"Yes, you want the answers for mysteries that have been lingered for ten years, dearie." Gold told her with his conceit. "I don't think you can handle all of them by standing there like a fool."

Emma rolled her eyes in aggravation. She knew the man. In fact, the whole town knew him. He was an academician. He had his honors from so many distinguished institutions. The man was invited to so many universities for his speeches and lessons. However, his son Neal did not fulfilled his expectations and everything went downhill from there. Neal had no interest to become like his father and they had a huge fight back then. When Neal decided to join the law enforcement, Gold kicked him out of his house and disowned him. Emma really hated the heartless man. The blonde however walked up slowly to a chair at the table and sat down with a frown on her face.

"See. It isn't that hard." The mocking tone was so obvious to the blonde.

"Hey, just get this shit over with already." Emma smacked the top of the table with her palm.

"Fine. Don't hurt yourself, dearie."

The blonde huffed. "What are you trying to do, for God's sake?!"

"I was doing what I supposed to do years ago." Gold took a sip of his coffee.

"And what is that?" The blonde asked. She was getting more and more impatient with the man.

"To make my son happy." The man had a small smile on his face. Emma was stunned by the words. "I know, he is gone but not entirely." Gold looked at the woman in front of him with a knowing look. "As a man with ambitions, I did great for myself." Emma rolled her eyes at those words and Gold noticed that. "But as a man with family, I failed terribly. I failed my son. My late wife hated me for my failure that I couldn't see. With all the honors that I was awarded, none of them actually managed to make me feel happy, Emma Swan. I wanted to be remembered by the world because of my achievements and what I could do to provide to the society. But in the end, I am just another hopeless man with a walking stick. With no one to give a damn about me. I lost my family, Swan, and I just have myself to be blamed."

Emma was so speechless at that moment. She wished she could say something to make the man feel better but somehow she could relate the man's story with hers. She left her family because of her own stupidity. Gold suddenly stood up and walked slowly towards the window in the room. Emma's gaze followed the man's movement.

"Truth be told, Swan, I can walk without this damn stick but I really feel like I need to hold on to something to give me the strength to live my life. I don't have anything else besides this stupid stick." The man laughed softly.

"What happened to you?"

"Typical diseases. Heart attack. Stroke. Two years back."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Emma looked at the man and she froze, when a realization hit her hard. "Two years back? Neal knew this, right? He had been coming back to the town because of this?"

"Yes, it's all coming back to you now, isn't it?"

"Did you call him?"

"No, I didn't. But your best friend did."

"Regina called you?" Gold scoffed at that.

"I doubt that Regina is just a best friend to you." The man laughed as he made air quotes with his fingers at the word 'just' and Emma was surprised by that. "By the way, it was Daniel. Your late best friend called Neal to tell my son that I had a stroke."

"Daniel?"

"Yes. When I was admitted to the ward after I had a stroke and became this… handicapped old geezer, Daniel was the doctor who was in-charged of taking care of me. I was giving him a hard time at first. I almost gave up my life. That was the kind of thing you do when you had nobody in your life anymore, Swan. You give up." Emma could feel the heartache right at that moment.

"But that boy never gave up on me. Daniel might seem like this momma's pretty boy but when he started talking, he really got me on my last nerves. He kept pushing me to get up on my feet and I really wished that I was strong enough to swat him away from me."

"Yeah, he did that to me all the time…" The blonde muttered under her breath but Gold heard that and he noticed the sad smile on Emma's face.

"One thing that he said that really made me realized that I need to get up was when he said a thing about my son, Neal. He said that Neal would be disappointed to see his pathetic father who once an influential man. He kept fucking reminding me that." The blonde noticed the crack in the man's voice. "Daniel kept asking me this everyday if I would ever be proud of myself after I kicked my son out of my home. He kept saying that Neal would come back someday. I felt bad. I didn't want to be alone. I missed my son and Daniel was there. He really reminded me of that stubborn Neal. Then, I realized that I want to live. Even if it wasn't to the fullest, I really wanted to live because I want to see my son." Gold said almost crying. "So, I fought for my life. I got up and I pushed myself. Daniel never gave up on me and I was grateful." Emma could feel tears welled up in her eyes.

"Daniel, he never gave up on everyone." Emma said to him and he nodded.

"Then one day, I was already on my feet again, walking, when suddenly Neal appeared. Neal came back and Daniel was there. That was when I realized that I was truly happy. I have my son, Neal, and I have another one as well, Daniel. Finally, I have my family back and I wasn't sure if I really deserved that." Emma looked down on the floor thinking about her family. She had the same idea as well. "I felt like I was whole again. When I thought that it couldn't get any better, I learned something about your son, Henry."

Both of them shared the same look on their faces. That hopeful look. "Of course, my son." Emma whispered to herself.

"I've seen the boy for so many times but it never occurred to me that the boy is my grandson. During one of my therapy sessions, Henry came to see Daniel for their lunch and Neal was there as well. So, when Daniel told us everything about the boy, Neal figured out that the boy was actually his son."

"But Neal never told me anything." Emma interrupted him.

"He tried, he gave hints but he didn't want to push you into the matter and make you upset. He knew you pretty well that you would build up walls around you. But he really wanted you to come back to this town and meet your son."

"Yeah, he kept saying things about going back home and all. Then, he went missing for days or weeks. Every time he mentioned anything about the town, I would just walk away. I thought he was bullshitting himself." Emma sighed.

"Neal visited us here fairly often especially when Daniel fell sick. Neal would come back to give him moral support just like what Daniel had done to me. Daniel worked too hard for everyone else but he forgot about himself, about his own condition. I was so surprised to learn his passing. Neal was so devastated as well especially when he saw how sad Henry was. He stayed in town for almost a week before going back to his place. Sometimes, he invited me to his place..."

"So, you were the visiting old friend he had been referring to."

"I supposed so, but then he was gone as well."

"I'm sorry." Emma said and the man just looked at her knowingly.

"Though they were gone, I was still contented because of Henry. He really reminded me of those two boys. So, one day when Henry said that he wished that he could make his mother, Regina I mean, to be happy again, I thought about you. I couldn't bear to see the boy in despair."

"So, you let him went all the way across the states to get me back here, all by himself? Wow, granddad of the year!"

"I didn't know that part. He did ask me how to get to your place and I simply told him. I didn't expect him to go after you literally and the next thing I know you were already in town and he returned with my credit card that I didn't notice was missing." The man sneered.

"What? No, you knew that wasn't true. You were helping him! You could go along with him!"

"And what? Ruin all of the surprise?"

"Oh my God!" Emma said dramatically. "You are part of this stupid operation! You helped him!"

"In a way, maybe. The boy is brilliant. It was something that he get from Regina and Daniel. But obviously, being so bold to run off like that, he is definitely your boy, dearie. You can't blame me or anyone else, it is in the genes. Yours and Neal's." The man said with his sad eyes when he mentioned his late son's name.

"Look, I am really sorry for what had happened to your son and everything in the past. I messed up so much but I guess we really have to leave it here. I am glad that my son has a great family here and I am sure that he will be thrilled to know that you're in fact his grandfather. His life is already perfect here without… without me in the picture in the first place. I mean, this operation whatsoever has to be stopped. I don't want him to be endangering himself anymore." The blonde said firmly.

"So, you're saying that you're giving up? You're leaving the town again?"

"No, I'm not giving up on him!"

"I'm not talking about him, Emma Swan. I'm talking about you and Regina."

"What…? What are you saying?' Emma stuttered. "That is so none of your business."

"Those two boys, Neal and Daniel, were hoping that they could fix the things that happened between you and Regina. They knew that you and Regina meant so much to each other. Yes, like I said, in a way, I might be helping them and Henry. Don't you think that everything that happened in the past rooted from you and Regina?"

"I…" The blonde was left speechless.

"Listen, Emma. I know that girl, Regina. I used to be her teacher and she was a happy girl. I saw when you were around her, she would be happier. She isn't like that anymore for years until you're back. I have Henry to keep me updated on that as well but I'm not blind to see it for myself." Gold looked at Emma expectantly. "And I know how it feels to be away from someone you loved so much for too long and then you met them again. The bliss is indescribable, Swan. Trust me, you don't want to ruin that moment. The price you're paying for a real love and happiness, they're worth paying."

Emma looked down at the floor, contemplating.

"I know that look. I'll give you some time to ponder." The man got up slowly and walked up to the room's door. Emma heard the sound of the door behind her being closed. The woman leaned down as she covered her face with both of her hands. The she groaned loudly.

* * *

The blonde stood in front of the grave. The gravesite was neat and well taken care of. There was a vase of white carnations next to the tomb. Emma was so grateful that David and Mary-Margaret were doing a great job looking after the place. She could feel a stabbing guilt inside of her chest. She wanted to cry but she knew it was meaningless. Emma bent down slowly as she read the name carved on the tombstone. Ingrid Swan. She read the name over and over again like a chant. The blonde sat in front of the tomb.

"Hello mom."

She smiled. "I am so sorry." The blonde imagined the reaction that her mother would have if she was still there, seeing her daughter after so many years being apart.

"I am here, finally." She said with a chuckle. "I wished you were here as well." She paused. "Because I really need you to tell me what to do. I want you to yell at me for being stupid and reckless. I want you to hold me." She felt a lump in her throat as she thought.

"I came here to tell you that I've been doing fine all these years. Alone and stupid but mostly fine. Your grandson, Henry, is an awesome boy. You were right when you said that my baby will be a great boy. And yeah, you were right that he is a boy after all." She chortled softly. "He is a survivor. He is charming, polite and brilliant. Well, Daniel and Regina did a great job raising him when I was… away. I don't know what he would turn up if it was me doing the parenting job. Oh, please don't be offended, mom. You were a lovely mom and you did a great job as a parent, but you know me. The brat." The blonde felt the tears welled up in her eyes. "I think Regina learnt a lot from you."

"Remember, you taught her to bake and cook and clean and dress. As infuriating as the things were, sometimes, I just thought that you forgot that I was your real daughter. But I can't blame you, Regina was the good girl. Regina adored you so much." She said as she let out a nervous little laugh. "Mom, you were right about another thing as well. Remember that you teased me a lot when it came to Regina." Emma smiled as she sighed deeply. "I love her." She paused as if she was waiting for a response.

"There I said it to you. Yeah, I know. You would laugh in my face so hard." The blonde chuckled. "You always thanked her for looking after me when it was actually me who looked after her." Emma rolled her eyes but there was a grin plastered on her face. "You always told her that you were sorry if I were being a brat to her. You always complimented her on the way she dressed and behaved and spoke. You really liked her, right?" Emma stared at the tomb for a moment, thinking. Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew through her, rustling her hair and tracing her skin. Then, a smile formed on her pink lips.

"That's it. You liked her. You always knew." She touched the tomb and her green eyes glistened. "Thanks mom. I love you too."

* * *

Emma was pacing around at the mansion's front porch while waiting for the door to be opened. The woman promised her son that they were going to spend the evening together. However, she also had another reason of coming to the mansion and it involved her son's other mother. She could hear running footsteps from the inside of the mansion and she chuckled. She could imagine Henry's excitement to see her. She was touched. Then, the door was flung opened and her son squealed at her.

"Emma!" The boy said as he hugged her tightly.

"Whoah, kid! Slow down!"

'"You're here! Are those chocolates?"

"Yeah, they're for you but don't tell Regina. She'll kill me. By the way, aren't you supposed to have your soccer practice or sort of right now?"

"Mom gives me a day off." Henry said with cheerful tone. "We're… well we're preparing for her wedding tomorrow." The boy's demeanor suddenly changed at that.

"Hey, I promise you that everything is going to be fine." Emma squatted down to Henry's height to speak to him. "Your mom is going to be happy and I'm going to make sure about that, Henry. I promise and right now, I really want you to be happy for her, would you do that? For Regina and me as well."

"Sure!" Henry beamed. "I promise you too that I'll be happy for mom." The boy said. "And Emma, promise me that you'll make yourself happy too."

Emma laughed at her son as she stood up. "I promise, kid." _I promise._

"Great!" The boy smile. "So, can we go now?

"Sure, but I need to see you mom first. I want you to wait for me inside for a while and I'll let you know when I'm done."

"Okay." Henry had a puzzled look on his face. "You two are okay, right?"

Emma sneered at her son and she ruffled the boy's hair. "Hey, we're good, kid. Don't worry about us." Henry laughed gleefully and Emma's heart fluttered at that.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Emma looked up to owner of the familiar enthralling voice. A smile formed on her pink lips.

"Hi, 'Gina."

"Hello, Emma." Regina and Emma smiled knowingly at each other. Then the brunette turned to look at her son. "Are those chocolates?"

"Emma gave them to me!" He grinned adorably before running away from his mothers.

"Hey, kid!" The blonde called up to her son. "Geez, that brat."

"He is pretty much like you."

"Yeah, definitely." Emma grinned with an adorable comical expression. The brunette laughed when she saw the endearing similarities that the blonde shared with their son. "By the way, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Emma. How about you?" Regina closed the door behind her and both of them walked down the front porch together towards the lawn.

"I'm good." Emma sighed. "I mean, I went to see Gold. So, you don't have to be worried about Henry going off missing again."

"Henry told me about Operation Swan Queen." Regina chuckled and Emma felt that a heat crept up her face. "So, you singing was part of the operation, wasn't it?" They kept on walking across the lawn with Regina leading the other woman towards a garden table. "You tried to stop my wedding." The brunette said, not looking at Emma as she sat on one of the chairs at the table.

"Regina, I… I am so sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your wedding or anything. It's not like that. I didn't come back to this town to stop your wedding."

"Of course, you're not stopping my wedding. I guess you're fine with me marrying Graham." Regina chuckled softly but Emma noticed the dejected tone in Regina's voice.

"No, I really don't want you to marry him!" Emma said with a firm voice. The blonde sat on a chair next to the brunette. Then, she reached her hands out towards Regina and took Regina's hands into hers. She held them firmly but tender with her thumbs caressing the other woman's hands. "I don't want you to marry him because I love you and I want to be with you." Emma peered up to look at Regina's face. She saw the troubled look on the brunette's face and the tears in her brown eyes.

"Emma. I thought…"

"Shh…" Emma silenced her by putting her finger gently on Regina's full lips. Then she moved her hand to caress the brunette's cheek. "I guess that in the end, we never really had the time to talk about what happened. But you need to know that I meant it. When Henry brought me back to this town, he told me to make you happy. Truth be told, he brought me back to my happiness. I've never been so happy in my life. You make me alive again. You reminded me of everything that I used to have and I don't want to lose it again."

"Emma, I told you that you messed with my mind. Well, it's true. Since you showed up about a week ago, I just can't get you out of my mind. You make me happy in the same time. My conscience keeps telling me that it is wrong but I don't want to be right because I choose to be happy with you."

"Yeah, I know. I always have such an effect on you." The blonde said smugly. Then the brunette's face turned red and Emma found that it was so adorable.

"Don't flatter yourself, Emma Swan!" The brunette slapped the other woman on her arm bashfully.

"Oh, look at your face, Regina Mills."

"I hate you."

"No, you love me. I know that." Emma said with a comforting smile. The blonde placed her hands on Regina's again. "We love each other and we're just being stubborn as always. We've been through too much." Emma looked at Regina's face with so much affections. "We have our families and friends but they don't know us the way we know each other. Each day with you is so precious and I'll treasure every single moment. Because you're the best I ever have. You and Henry, both." The blonde chuckled.

The brunette could not hold her tears anymore and she tried to look at everywhere but Emma's face. She was so speechless to say anything to the blonde. Regina could feel that Emma's hands grasps on hers were becoming firmer. "I'm sorry. I just…"

"It's okay. I totally understand. I'm just being a prick, again." Both of them laughed coyly. "But Regina." Emma lightly placed her hand under Regina's chin and lifted her face. "I just need you to answer a question." Regina looked at Emma with a sad expression but the blonde noticed how beautiful she was. Emma wished she could kiss the brunette's tears away. "Are you happy?"

"Emma. Please." Regina said almost whimpering.

"Hey, it's okay." The blonde told her with a comforting smile. Then, Emma leaned forward as she lifted both of her hands and cupped Regina's face in her hands. "Hey, I just want to make sure that… we're both happy. I want you to be happy. I promise that I won't make you cry anymore and I respect your choice." Emma felt the tears welled up in her eyes. It was painful but she just wanted to make sure that Regina, the love of her life, to be happy. "I just want to make sure that you're happy before I leave the town tomorrow." Emma said as she wiped Regina's tears with her thumbs.

"What?"

"Yeah, I'll have to leave the town. I think the big guy is already expecting me on Monday." Emma chortled nervously. "Well, I still need my job. I mean, how else am I going to pay for my house and clothes and stuffs?" The blonde tried to joke.

"Will… will you come back here?" Regina felt like a lump in her throat and the burning heartache in her chest. The brunette could not stand the idea of seeing Emma walk away again.

"Of course. I'll be back here once in a while for my family and Henry and well, for you." Emma gazed deeply into those pretty brown eyes.

"I can't do this, Emma." Regina sobbed as she shook her head.

"It's okay, 'Gina." Emma pulled the brunette into an embrace and she soothed the smaller woman in her arms. The blonde tried to hide the crack in her voice as well. "I totally understand. Your mom told me that you kept putting everyone else's happiness above you. I just hope that you're doing this for yourself for once." The blonde then slowly pulled herself from the hug and looked down to the other woman's face intently. Bright green eyes met with glistened brown ones. Their lips were inches from each other. Emma cupped Regina's face and kissed her. It was a sweet but passionate one. Then, Emma rested her forehead on Regina's, closing her eyes as she caressed Regina's cheeks with her thumbs.

"I don't want to let you go, Gina. I don't want to turn away from you. I want to see your smile forever. But I want the best for you. I really love you." She whispered to Regina. "You have to know that." Then, she let go of the brunette and got up.

"Emma, wait." Regina pled. They stared at each other. "Please, don't go. Please."

"I'm not going anywhere." Emma smiled with so much fondness. "You can still count on me, Regina. I'll still be by your side whenever you need me." The blonde said as she walked away, leaving the brunette alone. "Oh and congratulation on your wedding." Emma peered over her shoulder to look at Regina with a smile before walking away again.

"Please stay." Regina sniffled.

 _I will always love you._

I'm gonna love you 'til

My lungs give out

I promise till death we part

Like in our vows

So I wrote this song for you

Now everybody knows

That it's just you and me


	13. Just Like a Movie

**HELD ONTO YOU**

Adele – When We Were Young

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

"Regina?" The brunette who was gazing at the night sky startled when her name being mentioned. "What are you doing outside here?" The man asked his fiancée as he walked up slowly towards the woman. "It's cold out here." He came up behind the woman and wrapped his arms around Regina's waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "You should get back in there. You don't want to get sick for our big day tomorrow."

"I am waiting for Henry." She said without looking at the man.

"I am sure that Henry is fine, Regina." Graham pulled back from the embrace and with his arms still on her waist, he gently turned Regina to face him. "Come on, let's get in the house." He smiled at her as he removed his arms around Regina. He was about to walk over to the mansion when Regina grabbed his hand.

"Graham."

"Yes." He turned around to face the woman again. "Regina, what's wrong?" He asked when he noticed the frown on her face.

"I'm sorry, Graham. We really need to talk."

Everybody loves the things you do

From the way you talk to the way you move

Everybody here is watching you

'Cause you feel like home

You're like a dream come true

But if by chance you're here alone

Can I have a moment before I go?

'Cause I've been by myself all night long

Hoping you're someone I used to know

Emma stirred when the bright sunlight streamed through her window and fell onto her face. She opened her eyes and found that she was still in her bed and realized that it was that particular day. Regina was getting married. She looked at the table clock on the nightstand next to her bed and realized that it was already noon. "Shit." She was not planning to go to the wedding anyway, so she just laid there in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She spent her whole evening with Henry yesterday and when she got home, she had difficulty to sleep. The blonde was tossing and turning in her bed and she had no idea at what time when she finally dozed off. _I'm leaving today._ Then, she remembered that she promised Henry to meet him before going back to New York. Emma groaned as she reluctantly pushed herself to sit.

* * *

The brunette looked into the mirror. The brown-eyed woman was staring back at Regina. She stared at her perfectly curved brows and the blackened eyelashes, her powdered face with faint pink blush highlighted her cheeks to her scarlet-painted lips. She forced a smile, as courteously as she could. She turned to look around the room and she sighed silently. Marian, the wedding planner was talking to Kathryn, the maid of honor. Mary-Margaret, Zelena and Tina were listening to the two women as well. Regina turned to gaze at the mirror again. She hated the woman in the mirror. The brunette then stood and glanced down at her white dress.

"Hey, what's wrong?" A question pulled Regina out of her trance. 'Everything about this is wrong' did not come out of Regina's mouth. She turned around and Mary-Margaret was looking at her with a small smile and concerned eyes. "Are you okay, Regina?"

"I'm fine." Regina said with a chuckle. She really hated herself at that moment.

"Okay, tell me if you need anything." The pixie-haired brunette told her and Regina nodded. Regina then turned around to face the mirror again, ignoring the other woman. Mary-Margaret looked at her best friend for a moment before walking over to the troupe of bridesmaids. Regina noticed that everyone in the room was talking to each other, discussing about the event, her event. They were too busy to pay their attentions to the edgy bride in the room. So, she picked up her purse, dug out her phone, stared at it for a moment, contemplated before looking up for a name. She was about to call that particular person when her phone suddenly went dead.

* * *

 _Flashback._

 _The blonde girl was standing in the middle of the meadows, looking at her friends, a boy and another girl who was left somewhat far behind._

" _This is not fair! I cannot run in this!" The brunette girl in the blue dress shouted at her friends._

" _It isn't our fault that you chose to wear a dress, Regina." The blonde in a blue overall with a white t-shirt replied at the brunette. Regina pouted._

" _Emma, that is so not nice." The boy said to the blonde._

" _What? Daniel, she wears a dress. That is against the rules."_

" _You're mean." Regina stomped her feet and promptly stopped following her two friends. "Fine, I'm not coming with both of you!" She turned around with a grumpy face._

" _Regina wait." Daniel called out for his friend but the brunette already walked away from them. "Emma, look at what you've done." The boy scowled at the blonde girl and the latter rolled her eyes in annoyance._

" _I told her that we're going fishing. Why is she wearing that?"_

" _Emma!" Daniel exclaimed._

" _Ugh!" The little blonde huffed exasperatedly and quickly ran after Regina, leaving her fishing rod and pail behind. "Hey 'Gina, wait!" But the other girl ignored her. Emma ran past her friend and stopped right in front of Regina, abruptly causing the brunette to come into a halt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be mean but you really shouldn't be wearing that." Regina noted the tinge of pink on Emma's cheeks when the little blonde pointed at Regina's light blue dress._

" _Why? I love this dress."_

" _Yeah, then you shouldn't wear it because it can get all dirty and then you'll be all sad and… that is…" The blonde girl stammered. "That is not good."_

" _Why is that not good? It is my dress, not yours." There was an innocent questioning look on the young brunette's face._

" _Because…" The blonde felt the heat creeping up her face. "It's not good because I don't like to see you sad. Because you look so… sweet in that dress. So, it shouldn't get dirty and you shouldn't be sad in a dress that you really like." Emma frowned and tried to look away from her friend._

 _The brunette chuckled and Emma turned to look at her friend quizzically. "Well, I really love this dress but I love spending time with you more."_

" _Fine, come on." The blonde girl offered her hand. "Let's walk together."_

" _Okay." Regina intertwined their little fingers together and they walked towards their friend._

* * *

Emma looked into the mirror as she brushed her teeth lazily, reminiscing the old times when she was just a girl. They were all coming back to her now. The blonde smiled at herself. She somehow felt so silly. She was still in awe at how the turn and twist of fate had finally brought her back to the place that she used to despise. She striped down and walked into the shower. The blonde closed her eyes as she felt the warm water running over her body. She wanted to remain like that forever but the sound of her phone ringing pulled her out of her trance. She reached for the towel hung on the towel rail and quickly wiped herself dry. The blonde used the damp towel to wrap her body before frantically searched for her phone. When she found it, the phone was not ringing anymore. She looked through her phone's call log and she saw a couple of missed calls from an unfamiliar number. Of course of all the people in Storybrooke, she only had Henry's, Regina's and David's numbers saved in her phone. Emma decided to ignore them.

* * *

All of the ladies were already walking across the foyer towards the main entrance of the church, preparing to walk down the church aisle. While Marian explained to the ladies for the last time, Mary-Margaret and Zelena were fussing over their own dresses. Kathryn shushed the two women and gestured them to listen to Marian. Tina giggled at that earning a glare from Zelena. Regina was walking slowly behind her father, the last person in the line of the bridal party and she seemed completely oblivious to others.

"Dear, you look so beautiful." Her father's words pulled Regina out of her trance.

"Thank you, daddy." The man smiled at her before turning around and kept on walking. Regina inhaled deeply as she timidly followed her father.

"Okay ladies, get ready now." Kathryn said to the bridesmaids. Then, all of them heard the organist started to play the processional music. Mary-Margaret started walking down the aisle followed by the other bridesmaids.

Regina stole a glance at her father who was talking to the flower girl and the ring bearer. "I am sorry, daddy." She muttered under her breath.

* * *

 _Flashback._

 _The hallway of Storybrooke Elementary School was empty when the boy walked along it. Most of the students had already left the school right after the anticipated bell rang and it was the beginning of summer break. Then, he heard faint familiar voices of girls from one of the classes. The boy smiled as he pictured that the owners of the voices were bickering, again. He shook his head as he sighed. So, he quickened his pace to the particular class._

 _There was no one else in the class but two girls, a blonde and a brunette one. "What did you say?" The young blonde girl tilted her head and she scrunched her eyebrows together._

" _You are stupid." The brunette said as she placed her books inside of her bag on her desk. She avoided the blonde's gaze._

" _Are you allowed to say that, Regina?" The blonde who was sitting on the brunette's desk made a comically expression and leaned down towards her friend._

" _I learn it from you, Emma." Emma sensed that the other girl was angry at her. She smirked._

" _Well, you shouldn't."_

" _That is so not fair. Why can't I say it? I am not a little girl anymore."_

" _Well, you're little, Gi-na." Emma held out her hand towards the brunette and moved her hand horizontally just above Regina's head indicating Regina's lack of height. The blonde had a mischievous grin on her face and the brunette gasped._

" _I am not that short and you're not that tall!" Regina scolded her friend._

" _Taller than you." Emma said with all of her smugness._

" _You idiot!" Regina pouted._

" _Hey, you shouldn't do that. You said idiot and you made face. I'm gonna tell your mom." The blonde hopped down from the desk and stood next to the brunette._

" _I hate you."_

" _No, you don't and stop pouting." Emma said but she was ignored by the other girl. "Fine." She sighed before she leaned forward and planted a peck on the brunette's cheek. Regina's eyes widened adorably as she blushed. "There you go" Emma closed her eyes tightly. "Now God, please make the pouty face go away and give me back my cute Regina."_

 _The blonde girl opened her eyes slowly and the first thing she saw was Regina with a sweet smile plastered on the brunette's face. "You're an idiot." Regina giggled with a pinkish cheeks._

" _Not the first time I heard that." Bright green eyes met with adorable brown ones. They remained gazing at each other like that for a while until they were interrupted by knocks on the classroom's door._

" _Hey, do you girls realized that there is no one else in this building and it can get very spooky any time soon?"_

" _Daniel, you're here!" Regina said cheerfully and walked up to the boy._

" _What took you so long?" Emma scowled at the boy._

" _Well, I'm here now. So, should we go now?"_

" _Yes." "Heck yeah." The two girls said simultaneously and turned to face each other. They giggled and Daniel looked at the girls with a knowing smile._

* * *

All eyes were on the two kids, the ring bearer and the flower girl as they walked slowly down the aisle with the processional music in the background. The little boy walked steadily as he carried a pillow with two rings attached to it. The flower girl who had a basket of rose petals hung on her arm followed the boy slowly as she scattered the petals with each of her step. Graham smiled as he watched the two kids from the altar. When he reached the altar, the boy handed off the rings to Graham's best man and the two children went to sit with their respective family. Then, the organist started playing the bridal chorus, the congregation instinctively stood up and turned around to look at the entrance, anticipating the bride's appearance.

However, few minutes passed and Regina was nowhere to be seen as well as the mayor. Graham's eyes were fixed at the entrance and he was having a palpitation at that moment.

"Where the hell is Regina now? She is supposed to walk down the aisle now with my father." Zelena whispered to the bridal party at the altar.

"She was outside there with the mayor a while ago. I told her to wait there until her turn to walk with the mayor." Kathryn hissed at her friends.

"Oh no, I knew I had a bad feeling about this." Mary-Margaret muttered.

Graham glanced at the line of bridesmaids knowingly before suddenly sprang down the altar towards the entrance. He heard the sounds of gasps and mutters from the congregation but he ignored them. He walked out of the entrance and the Mayor was there alone looking so freaked out. "Sir? What happened?"

* * *

"I'm going to miss you, Ems." Ruby told Emma as both of them walked up to the blonde's yellow bug in front of the diner. There were two paper bags filled with foods in the brunette's arms. "You know, you don't have to leave today."

"I have to Rubes because I want to be there at least by midnight or early morning. It is going to be a damn long journey and I don't want to be so fucking tired when I get back to work. I need a one day rest before going in on Monday." Emma said in a nonchalant manner before opening her car door. "I don't want to look pathetic after a week of break." The blonde noticed the annoyed expression on Ruby's face as she held the door for her friend to place the paper bags on her car seat.

"What a snobbish." Ruby muttered to herself. Then, the tall brunette was startled by the sound of a phone ringing from inside the car. She quickly placed the paper bags on the front passenger seat before searching for the phone. "Dude, your car is literally a dumping ground!" Ruby said in disgust and Emma rolled her eyes at the remark. Ruby reached for Emma's backpack at the backseat and rummaged through it. By the time Ruby found the phone, the phone had already stopped ringing. Ruby looked at the screen of the phone and gasped. "Shit! You have like assloads of missed calls here, dude!" The brunette got out of the car and held out the phone in front of Emma.

"Yeah, I don't know those number. They're most probably from work. I had few texts from my chief asking when I am going to show up. He is an asshole." The blonde pushed her car door shut. She walked over to the trunk of her car and pulled it open, making sure that everything was intact before the long distance road trip. Then, she heard her phone rang again.

"Hey, are you going to answer this?"

"Nah."

Ruby stared at her friend, unamused. "It's David." Then, she touched the answer button and spoke through the phone. "Hello."

"Ruby!" Emma hissed at her friend.

"Hey wait!" Ruby raised her voice out of sudden as she spoke to the caller. Emma's eyes widened at that. "It is for you, Emma." Ruby put the phone on loudspeaker and held it towards Emma. The blonde scowled at her friend but Ruby shrugged her off and made a gesture for the blonde to speak.

"Hello, Dav…" Emma could not finish her sentence when Mary-Margaret's voice suddenly broke in.

"Where the hell are you, Emma?!" It was Mary-Margaret's usual high-pitched voice that made both Emma and Ruby stunned.

"Hey, chill. What is wrong with you?"

"Are you coming to the wedding?" Mary-Margaret's voice sounded so hysterical.

"Well, I am not really…" Emma stuttered.

"Fine, just shut it, Emma!" Mary-Margaret silenced her off.

"Whoa, MM! Chill." Ruby laughed at that.

"We can't find Regina!" Emma and Ruby shared a look.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Gosh, I don't know how to explain to you right now. Just come down here right away. I really don't think we have a wedding to attend today anyway." There was an abrupt silent right after that. Mary-Margaret hung up the phone.

"Hello, MM?" Emma called up her friend. "Okay, that is so fucking weird."

* * *

 _Flashback._

 _The blonde girl looked at her mother who was hanging the girl's shirts in a closet. The girl was grouching as she laid on the bed with her bandaged leg propped on pillows. She tried to move around and groaned loudly when she felt the pain on her leg. Her mother glanced at her daughter for a few seconds then she just shook her head._

" _Mom, come on. Everyone is going to Ruby's party. David and Daniel are going. Even Regina is going too." The girl sighed. "This is so unfair. I can't just be lying here on the bed on Christmas Eve."_

" _You can't hardly move or walk at all young lady. How do you expect yourself to be partying, Emma?" Ingrid asked her daughter with a motherly smile._

" _It is just a sprained ankle, mom!"_

" _And you could sprain another one."_

" _But mom!"_

" _No, you're not going to the party. You're going to have your bed rest for the next five days and no more skateboarding for you, little mistress."_

" _Oh man, that sounds so pathetic."_

" _Yes, you should think about that the next time you try to get yourself into trouble."_

" _But what should I be doing now?"_

" _I don't know, Emma dear. Read a book? I thought that you had borrowed so many books from Regina."_

" _I'm not really into reading. It's Christmas Eve. Why would anyone be reading now?"_

" _Oh yeah? Then why are you borrowing so many books from Regina?"_

" _Because she said they're interesting."_

" _No, you're trying to impress her, aren't you?" Ingrid grinned._

" _No, I'm not! Mom!" Emma blushed and her mother laughed at her. The sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation._

" _Oh look, we have a guest. Who could it be, Emma?" Ingrid sneered at her daughter._

" _How do I know? You won't let me move." The girl glowered._

" _I'll go get the door. Don't sprain any of your other limbs while I'm at it, okay?" Emma stuck out her tongue at Ingrid and her mother laughed at her. "You're grounded for another week, young lady."_

" _Mom!"_

" _Stay there!" Ingrid said as she left her daughter's room._

 _Emma pushed herself to sit on the bed. She slowly moved her legs and she groaned. The blonde girl pushed herself to the edge of her bed and she sat there for a moment. She stood up, supporting her body with the uninjured leg, and slowly skipped forward on one feet towards the nearby window in her room. Emma peeped through her window to look at the guest. Emma smiled widely when she saw a familiar black Mercedes parked in the driveway. She pushed the window open, letting the cold breeze into her room and called up her friend. "Regina, up here!" Regina who was standing next to her mother peered up to look at Emma and she beamed at the other girl._

" _Emma, stay away from the window!" Ingrid shouted from the outside. Emma gasped in horror and quickly closed her window. She skipped back to her bed and climbed onto her bed. The girl grinned as she heard footsteps coming to her room._

" _Emma!" Regina appeared outside of Emma's room._

"' _Gina!" The blonde was so excited to see her friend. "You're here!"_

" _Yep, and I brought cookies."_

" _Aren't you happy to have your visitor, Emma?" Ingrid stood next to Regina and smiled at her daughter._

" _Mom, why didn't you tell me that Regina is coming?"_

" _It was a last minute plan. Regina's parents are having a dinner with the mayor. So, they asked me to babysit Regina for the night."_

" _What about Zelena?" Emma looked at Regina warily._

" _Zelena is going out with her friends."_

" _Okay, that's cool." Emma said with relief and Regina chuckled._

" _I'll be downstairs preparing dinner. Just call me if you girls need anything."_

" _Do you need my help, Miss Swan?" Regina asked the woman._

" _What, no!" Emma shouted. Both Ingrid and Regina turned to look at the girl on the bed. "Please don't leave me alone, 'Gina." Emma pled. Ingrid smiled at her daughter with a knowing look._

" _It is okay, Regina." Ingrid bent down at Regina's height as she patted the girl gently on her head. "I just need you to look after Emma while I prepare the dinner. Can you do that for me?"_

" _Sure, Miss Swan."_

" _Thank you, honey. Now go."_

" _Hey, come 'ere, 'Gina." Emma called up her friend and patted the bed next to her. "David gave me this new comic and I think it is pretty cool." The smaller girl climbed up onto the bed and sat next to the blonde girl. They pulled up a duvet to cover their lower halves._

" _And girls, no cookies before dinner."_

" _Okay, Miss Swan." "Aww, mom!" The girls answered simultaneously. Ingrid chuckled as she shook her head. She watched the girls for few seconds while they were chatting with each other before leaving them to prepare for dinner._

" _Why are you here? I thought that you're going to Ruby's party."_

" _Why should I? You're not there." Regina shrugged while turning the pages of Emma's comic. Emma looked at her friend tenderly. It was the warmest Christmas Eve for both of them._

* * *

Emma stepped into the banquet hall where Regina's wedding reception should be. Everything about it from the grand entrance, the lavish chandelier, the floral arrangements and the wall decors seemed to be so sophisticated. Emma looked around in amazement. It was the Mills' ceremony after all, she thought to herself. Some of the guests were still there and Emma quickly looked for familiar faces.

"Emma!" The blonde's attention turned to the direction of the voice.

"David. MM." The couple was sitting at the table at one corner of the hall. Emma walked up to them and she noticed the worried look on their faces. "What the hell is going on?"

"Regina, she was there and she was supposed to walk down the aisle with the mayor but then she was just gone." Mary-Margaret said with a frown.

"What do you mean that she was just gone? Did she just magically poofed herself out and disappeared in front of you guys?" Emma asked while doing some comical hands gestures.

"Are you trying to joke right at this moment, Emma?"

"I am not joking. I seriously don't get it. How can she be gone?"

"I have no idea!"

"Okay, ladies calm down." David interrupted the two women. "Mary-Margaret, you need to tell Emma what had happened in the first place." The man turned to his sister. "Please, Emma. We really need your help. Henry is so worried right now and Regina's family are trying to contact her."

"Yes, I am sorry. I'm just so worried about Regina. She just walked off like that and that was so not her at all." The pixie-haired rambled.

"Right. I'm sorry too. I'm being stupid again. I'll do whatever it takes to help. Just tell me what happened." Emma shook her head as she took a seat next to her brother.

"Everything was just fine this morning. Zelena, Kathryn and Tink were there as well. We were preparing her for the wedding this morning and she didn't say much. I mean, I just noticed that she wasn't that excited for her wedding and she seemed like she spaced out a lot. I don't know, Emma. When I looked at her, I just thought about you. About what you'd told us that day." Both Mary-Margaret and David looked at Emma.

"What do you mean?" Emma stammered.

"I think she was having a second thought or something." The brunette's brows furrowed.

"That cannot be. I mean, I already talked to her."

"It's true, Emma! Then, she asked if she could use my phone and I gave it to her. I think she made a few phone calls but I could see that she was so frustrated." Emma gulped. _Could it be?_

"Well, who did she call?"

"I don't know, Emma. She erased the call logs." Emma's heart pounded hard. "Oh Emma, I hope she is okay." Mary-Margaret frowned.

"Damn it! What about Graham?"

"Well, since Regina took off like that, he had to call off the wedding."

"Where the hell is he now?'

"We have no idea as well. He was around for a while." David explained to his sister, trying to look calm.

"There must be a reason why Regina decided to do that! How come he be gone now?" The blonde raised her voice at the top of her lungs and groaned exasperatedly, drawing the attention of everyone in the banquet hall. She stood up and paced around with a cantankerous face.

"Emma, calm down." The pixie-haired lady said warily. "Graham was sad as well."

"And what about Regina's family? Did Regina say anything to them?"

"Mr. Mills said one moment Regina was there but when everyone started walking down the aisle, he found out that Regina was suddenly gone. The next thing he knew, his car key is missing as well as his car."

"Shit. So, where can she be?"

"The Mayor and his wife are at their home right now. Regina isn't there. Zelena is looking after Henry at the mansion. They'll be staying there in case Regina get back. I already asked couple of my deputies to start searching around."

"That's good. I just…" Emma's sentence was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She promptly answered the phone call, hoping that it was Regina. "Hello, Reg…" But an unfamiliar voice broke in. "Graham, where the hell are you?" The blonde yelled as David and Mary-Margaret shared a look. "Fine, I'll be there. Stay there!" She hung up her phone. "Graham is at the Granny's. I'm gonna meet him there." The blonde said as she walked away from the couple.

"Wait Emma!" David called up her sister.

"David let's go." Mary-Margaret looked at her husband with a knowing look and the man nodded.

"Seriously, what is wrong with this family?" The man muttered under his breath.

* * *

The man who was sitting at the counter turned to look at the door of the diner when he heard the chiming sound of the doorbell. The blonde woman who just stepped into the diner agitatedly looked around the diner for a familiar face. The man sighed and he already expected the wrath of the woman. Then, when their eyes locked, Emma fisted her hands and hastily walked up to the man.

"You son of bitch!" She yelled and raised up her fisted hand. All of the few patrons who were still in their suits and dresses were so surprised to look at the scene while Graham was just sitting there unmoved.

"Emma, don't!" David walked into the diner and ran towards his sister and grabbed her arms from behind. He held his sister tightly as the woman struggled.

"Let go of me, David. I'm not going to…"

"No, Emma. Don't do this! We're not here to assault anyone." David said in a firm voice as he held his sister tightly. "We just need to find Regina." He whispered to Emma.

"Fine!" Emma raised her hands in the air with her palms up dismissively. "Just let me go, David! I'm not going to punch him!" Emma glowered at her brother and David let go of his grasps on his sister's arms. "Dude, start talking." She ordered Graham, ignoring the look that she got from everyone in the diner.

"Hello Detective Swan." Graham stood up and turned to face the brother-sister duo. "Sure, I'll talk but maybe we need to step outside. We don't want to cause any fuss in here, right?" Graham said in a composed manner.

Emma huffed in enragement as she turned around and walked up to the door. She opened the diner's door roughly and stepped out of the diner without even looking back. Once she was outside of the diner, Emma ran her fingers through her hair and paced around impatiently.

"Emma, calm down. We will figure this out." Mary-Margaret noticed the look on Emma's face.

"I don't know, MM. I really hate that man now."

"I'm sorry about that but I guess the feeling is mutual anyway." Graham interrupted. Emma gave him a pointed look. "Maybe we need to discuss about this after all, alone." The man gave David and Mary-Margaret a meaningful glance. However, the couple had this unenthusiastic concern expression on them to leave the ill-tempered Emma alone with the man. "It's okay, I don't think Detective Swan here will do anything uncivilized. She doesn't want to repeat the same mistake, does she? Regina would hate that." Graham smirked and Emma shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you two give us a moment. I really need to talk to Miss Swan here alone."

"Yeah, we cool here." David stole a glance at his sister before placing an arm around his wife's waist. "We'll be around, Emma." The man told his sister, and Emma nodded. The couple then walked into the diner.

There was a brief moment of eerie silent before Graham decided to break it. "You went to see her yesterday, right?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to say goodbye to her. I'm supposed to leave the town today."

"Of course." The man chuckled scornfully as he shook his head.

"Let's just cut the crap! What the hell happened?"

"She chose you!"

Emma spluttered at that. "What are you saying?"

"Last night, she told me that she can't let you leave. I could tell that she wanted to be with you, Swan. She already told me that she can't go through with the wedding. Yes, she chose you." Emma was so stupefied by the revelation. "But I still convinced her that the two of us could make it. I really thought that I managed to persuade her to go through the wedding." Graham glanced at Emma and she noticed that his expression changed. She could see anger and frustration. "In fact this past week, she had been trying to tell me something which I'm sure about the two of you." Emma felt bad, she tried to avoid the man's gaze. "But I refused to listen. I still had hope. I just wanted whatever that I had with her to work out." The man sighed deeply. "It was stupid of me. I've been lying to myself." He raised his hands above his head and ran his fingers through his hair exasperatedly.

"Today, when she didn't show up, I knew that she already made her mind. She chose you, Swan." Emma's heart skipped a beat at those words. "So, I guess I had to let her go for good. Really don't get me wrong, Swan. I love her, I really do." The man said with a sad smile. "But I guess, I'm not the one." He sighed. "I saw it, Emma. I want to make her happy but I'm not the right person."

"Dude, I'm so sorry about that. It isn't Regina's fault. I led her."

"No, she chose you from the beginning. I totally understand. When you came back to this town, I already knew that I can't have her heart. She never chose me anyway. She still did it because of her family, her father and Henry. I knew it all along but I was being selfish. I noticed the smile on her face every time she was with me, it wasn't genuine. Not the kind of smile that she had when… you were around her." Graham chuckled softly and Emma was so speechless. Then, the man stood straight and looked intently into the blonde's eyes. "So, now I really hope that you won't screw up again." He said through gritted teeth. "Make her happy again, Swan. I swear, if you make her cry again, I'll make sure that you'll be sorry forever."

"Of course. You don't have to tell me that. Where is Regina now?" The blonde's stance was unwavering.

"How do I know? She was looking for you anyway."

"What?"

"Last night, she kept telling me that she wanted to stop you from leaving the town. She really didn't want you to leave. Regina only does the unexpected thing when it comes to you, you know, like adopting your son years ago." Graham could not help noticing the dramatically astounded expression on Emma's face. "So, when she unexpectedly ran off just now, I am very sure that she is looking for you. She is not going to let you leave the town, Swan." The man chuckled as he shook his head.

"But… But I haven't seen her at all today."

"Swan, I really have no idea. I wished I knew." The man shrugged his shoulders as he laughed. "You're her knight in a shining armor. I think you can figure it out." Graham raised his hand and waved it as he walked away, leaving the confused blonde. "Good luck, Detective Swan."

Emma could only think of a place at that moment, so she bolted right away.

* * *

Emma slowed down her car and parked it in front of her summer house. She quickly got out of her car and started looking around the house in bewilderment. "Regina?" No answer. The blonde found that the house as void as it had always been.

 _Damn, Regina where are you?_

* * *

 _FLASHBACK_

 _Regina was sitting at her study desk, reading a novel when suddenly she heard knocks on her window. She turned to look at her window expectantly and smiled as she shook her head. "Not again, Emma." Emma was squatting outside of her window and the blonde was waving her hand at Regina with an adorable silly smile on her face._

" _Come on, Gina. Open the window. It's freezing out here and why the hell is your roof so slippery." Emma called up her friend. Regina walked up to her window while looking at her friend with a raised eyebrow. Emma kept waving at her friend with her signature smile. The brunette chuckled as she open her window. The blonde quickly took off her shoes before hoping into Regina's room through the window._

" _Because it is the roof and it is not meant to be walked on. Emma, you know there is a safest way for you to come in. It is the door down there." Regina crossed her arms over her chest._

" _I know, Gina. But it's almost ten and I believe that you have a curfew." Emma said in a mocking tone and the brunette rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I just want to tell you that I'll be away during the weekend."_

" _Emma, where are you going?"_

" _Have you forgotten? I'm going to that concert in Boston with David and the boys. Matchbox Twenty will be there as well!" Emma said with so much enthusiasm and the brunette smiled as she shook her head. Then, Regina looked out of her window and she saw David in his father's truck with the rest of his gang. They waved their hands at the brunette as they hollered at her. Regina waved back at them before stepping aside from her window._

" _They're going to wake the whole neighborhood, Emma." Emma chuckled at her. "So, you're just going away for the weekend right?"_

" _I won't be long. I'll be back before Monday night. Hey, why don't you come along?"_

" _I can't." Regina scowled at the other girl._

" _Fine. I'll go alone."_

" _You knew that I won't be coming along with you. Why are you risking your life climbing your way up here? You could get killed."_

" _Because I just want to see you before I go." Emma said with a tinge of pink on her cheeks. Regina chuckled at her and her heart fluttered at the blonde's words. "So, I guess I'll see you later when I get back here." Emma started climbing the window._

" _Promise?" Regina suddenly asked Emma and the blonde peered over her shoulder to look at her friend._

" _Promise what?"_

" _Promise that you'll be back."_

" _I promise. Have I ever let you down before?" Emma smiled reassuringly._

" _Just let me know when you're back, okay?"_

" _Sure. Or you know where to find me. Our sacred place."_

Of course.

It's hard to admit that

Everything just takes me back

To when you were there

To when you were there

And a part of me keeps holding on

Just in case it hasn't gone

I guess I still care

Do you still care?

It was just like a movie

It was just like a song

My God, this reminds me

Of when we were young


	14. I Am Already Home

**HELD ONTO YOU**

A/N - The last chapter. I am in a hurry due to my ever hectic schedule. Fuck my job. I am sorry if I made you upset, cry or if the story doesn't meet your expectations. Thanks for all your responses. I read all of your reviews and you are awesome. ;) x

A Great Big World – Already Home

 **I ain't a writer. Unedited. Not Beta'd.**

 **Disclaimer: OUAT, the characters and the songs/lyrics belong to their rightful owners, who obviously are not me.**

* * *

You say love is what you put into it

You say that I'm losing my will

Don't you know that you're all that I think about?

You make up a half of the whole

You say that it's hard to commit to it

You say that it's hard standing still

Don't you know that I spend all my nights

Counting backwards the days 'til I'm home

Emma slowed down her car when she saw the huge signboard of the Mills' ranch. She looked through her window, wishing that she would happen to see the person she was looking for. She was really hoping that her hunch was right. The blonde already reassured everyone especially Henry that she would find Regina and she was so confident at that time. She hoped that she would not let everyone down mainly Henry. However, Emma knew Regina pretty well. Unlike Emma, the brunette was not the type of a person that would flee because of something so trivial. The blonde sighed, calling off one's wedding on the day itself was not a trivial matter. It was pretty intense to anyone.

The blonde parked her bug right in front of the ranch's entrance. She saw a glinted black car parked by the side of the road and she smiled in relief. Emma definitely recognized the black Mercedes. Emma got out of her car, almost jumping excitedly. She walked up to the main gate of the ranch and noticed that it was locked. The blonde had a quick thought that everyone in the ranch was supposed to attend the wedding _._ She surveyed the locks and grumbled. "Those are some huge-ass locks. How the hell did she get in?" Emma peered up and studied the tall gate, thinking that there was no way in hell Regina would climb it in her wedding dress. She kept walking around until she noticed a smaller gate not so far away from the main one. The detective ran towards the small gate and noticed that it was ajar. "Perfect." She assumed that Regina must also had the key to the ranch. Emma pushed the gate open and walked through it. She looked around wishing that the brunette would be around but she saw no one. Then, she looked at the stable and headed towards it. "Of course."

Emma walked along the walkway in between the stalls. She took a peek at all of the stalls, one by one, unsure of what she was looking for. Then, she noticed that one of the stalls was empty. She recalled a brown stallion that Regina rode just few days back. She grinned widely. Regina was there. "She is still here." Well, Emma decided to walk since she was not planning on riding a horse and ended up with a concussion. So, the blonde walked out of the stable with so much anticipation. She was going to get her girl back.

* * *

Emma could feel the soft breeze brushing her hair and her cheeks when she walked up the small hill towards the old oak tree. Her face lit up as she walked on her sacred place. As she ascended the small hill, she was really hoping that Regina would be around. However, she was disappointed when she finally reached the top of the hill and found out that there was no one under the old oak tree, empty. She sighed, beaten and she sat down on the grass. Emma stretched as she rested her back against the tree. Emma could not help wondering what Regina was thinking when she decided to run off from her own big day. It was something so reckless for the brunette.

The blonde gazed across the wide meadow in front of her, spotting a spirited creature in the middle of the vast field. Then, a grin slowly formed on her lips.

"Emma?" The raspy voice sounded so enthralling.

The blonde heard the sound of footsteps rustling through the grass behind her. The blonde let out a soft chuckle, trying not to look so surprised. Quietly, the brunette walked up to a spot next to where Emma was sitting and she stood there still.

"I wasn't really into rom-com or chick flick or anything like that, but I watched The Runaway Bride once because you girls made me. I am very sure that I slept through the movie and I still had no idea why on earth was Julia Roberts riding a horse in a wedding gown. It was kind of ridiculous. I just never thought that I would have to search for a bride who happened to ride a horse today." Emma said, still gazing across the wide land before her eyes. She saw the brown stallion running freely in the middle of the meadow. The blonde was wondering how the brunette rode a horse in her wedding dress. She would ask the other woman later. Regina peered down to look at Emma and the brunette smiled.

"I found you." Regina took a seat next to Emma.

"No, I found you." Emma said to the brunette without looking at the other woman. "You were never good in seeking or hiding or escaping anyway."

"I hate playing hide-and-seek." Regina turned her face forward, following Emma's gaze.

"Because I was good at it?" Emma sounded so arrogant.

"You always cheated." The brunette rolled her eyes and Emma laughed.

"No, I never cheated. I was just…" Emma stammered. "I am just good at finding people and also hiding and escaping and running away, you know." The blonde sighed. "And being an idiot."

Regina chortled softly. "Yes, something that we can agree on."

Emma turned to look at the other woman. "I guess it runs in the family and I think we both need to stop doing this. This is a bad influence on our son." Regina faced Emma with raised eyebrows. The blonde was amused with Regina's adorable quizzical look. "Well, you see. I ran away years ago. Then, Henry ran away over and over again and we all agreed that he got it from me. But then, here you are running away from your big day." Emma paused. "Or sort of." Regina laughed at that and Emma found that she really loved the sound of it. She really could get used to it.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I just thought that it was the right thing to do at that moment. So, I just took off."

"Been there, done that." The blonde shrugged off.

"The next thing I knew, I'm already here thinking about everything, in this." Regina gestured at her dress. "This is somewhat a weird way of me expressing myself."

"It is." Emma sniggered. "It is weird even for me. I have no idea that Regina Mills is weirder than me. This is a brand new information." They looked at each other and laughed. "We'll get back to that someday."

"Sure, we will."

"Yeah, because we have some other things to, you know, deal with."

"He knew." Regina said softly and Emma tilted her head as she looked at the brunette with a puzzled look. "Graham knew all along. I tried to tell him about the thing that we had together but he refused to listen." The brunette made an air quote as she talked referring to the night they had together at Emma's summer house. Emma shifted tensely in her position and it did not go unnoticed by Regina.

"I tried to tell him everything. He realized that. Though, he still had hope for me and him to happen. Somehow, Graham didn't want to push me into it." Regina leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her knees and pulled them closer to her chest. "I didn't want to let him down. I didn't want to let everyone down." Regina said almost whispering, comfortably rested her chin on her knees and her arms loose on her legs. "I ruined it anyway. I ruined my own wedding. I walked away."

Emma watched the brunette, noticed how small she was despite the spread out wedding gown she was wearing. The blonde held the urge that she had to pulled the smaller woman into her arms and comfort her. Regina was too fragile at that moment and all she needed at that time was a company. "You didn't ruin it. You didn't ruin anything." Emma said with a reassured tone. "I did it. Blame it on me and Operation Swan-Queen. Mission accomplished." Regina's eyebrows raised at that. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so proud or anything but it is just me talking again. You know how it usually sounded, right?"

"No, Emma. You don't get all the credit. I ruined my own wedding." Regina sat up straight as she gave Emma her signature pointed look.

"Nah, I still blame me. Everything would work out fine for you if I weren't here in this town."

"It wasn't your choice. You had to bring back Henry to us. So, no, you don't get to blame yourself." Regina shook her head in disagreement.

"Yeah, still I had the chance to walk away the day after that. I kept telling myself to bolt but no. I stayed until this freakin day!" Regina rolled her eyes. Of course Emma would not back away from an argument. "I've been in this town for a week and that is already seven days."

"I can count, Emma."

"If my mom was around she would say 'Finally, I thought that you had a head concussion and forgot your way home, young lady.'" The blonde rambled, imitating her late mother's diction. Regina smiled but she felt the heartache upon remembering Ingrid. "I might be hesitated at first but then I decided to stay here in this town, 'Gina. I decided to sing to you. I decided to stop your wedding."

"I could've just ignore you this whole week. I could've just focus on my work and my wedding, Emma. Instead, I chose to hang out with you and I just… I just love every moment of it. I enjoyed every moment of it and I weren't even sorry. I chose that instead of my wedding arrangement."

The blonde's heart fluttered at that. "I led you on."

"It was my choice."

"For God's sake, 'Gina!" Emma said in exasperation. "I sang to you! I tried to pursue you despite knowing that you're getting married. Then, you know the rest of the story." Emma blushed when she recalled the night she slept with Regina and she noticed that the brunette also had a similar expression.

"Well, I knew that I should stay sober that night but I was already drunk before I even got there. I mean, not that drunk or inebriated." Regina rolled her eyes when Emma gave her a pointed look. "Ugh whatever, point is I still let the liquor got the best of me when I knew I shouldn't."

"You had a few drinks and you drove to the bar? That really doesn't sound like you at all."

"Zelena drove me to the bar that night." Regina paused. "Yes, it really doesn't sound like me at all but that was what had happened anyway. I made mistake. As you can see, Regina Mills can make mistake. Regina Mills ruined her own wedding."

"Regina, stop blaming yourself. Trust me, I am the reason of all these events. I am!" Emma said as she raised both of her hands dramatically in the air and pointed herself with her thumbs. Regina chuckled and shook her head.

"You're infuriating." The brunette felt so tired and defeated but somehow delighted. Emma sniggered at the comment and she felt that the tension in the air slightly lifted. "I am so sorry, Emma." The blonde woman eyed at Regina, baffled. "When I said that I was scared of you. I meant that I was scared of…"

"Seeing me walk away again?" Emma interrupted her. "I won't walk away again, Regina. I told you that I won't walk away from you ever again." Emma' voice was firm and her gaze fixed on the brunette's eyes.

"I know. You kept telling me that. I had doubt. I messed up. I was so stupid. I'm really sorry, Emma." The blonde nodded at her with a comforting smile on her pink lips. "Then, when you told me that you're leaving the town, I was so scared. I felt so hopeless. I realized that I'm making a mistake again. I don't want this." Regina muttered as she gestured at her dress. "I don't want to live without you ever again. I don't think I can handle that again." The brunette said almost whimpering and Emma's heart skipped few beats at that. "I wanted you to stay. I really wanted to tell you to stay. So, I took off. I went to your summer house just now, Emma. I was looking for you!" The brunette raised her voice.

"What?" Emma was so flabbergasted.

"Obviously, you weren't going to my… that wedding."

"What? No, I wasn't really planning to… but I eventually got there… or something" The blonde stuttered.

"Sure. Tardy as usual. Eloquent as always." The brunette grinned.

"Well, yeah I overslept as usual. Then, I had to be there because the bride was missing and there was no wedding at all anyway. Everyone was panicking and the whole world turned upside down." Emma glowered at her friend. "What an event." She puffed.

"You weren't home. I thought that you were already gone." Regina continued with a smile. "But I have no idea why I still had hope that you would still be around."

"Yeah, and my guts kept telling me that you would be around as well." They glanced at each other for a moment. They realized that they really missed their bickering and they could not help antagonizing each other. "So, you decided to come here?"

"And I found you." Regina said with a raised eyebrow.

"No, it was me who found you." Emma snickered as she shook her head in disagreement.

"Right. Whatever." The brunette sighed, clearly too tired to argue with the blonde.

"Well, like I said I'm always good at this thing." The blonde said smugly.

"Ever so proud." Regina said with her smoky voice. She stared at the blonde but Emma noticed the witty smile plastered on Regina's face.

"Always so stubborn." Emma grinned as she moved closer to the smaller woman.

"Insufferable."

"Touchy."

"Bumptious."

"Mouthy."

"Bullheaded."

"Midget."

"Idiot."

"Your idiot." Emma leaned in towards Regina, whispering her words with a victorious smile. "This idiot is madly in love with you, Regina Mills."

"I don't usually fall in love with an idiot." Regina said and moved closer into the blonde's personal space. Emma's breath hitched and she felt the butterflies in her stomach. Their faces inched closer and closer. Emma breathed in deeply, taking in Regina's scent of apple and lilac.

"I think you can make an exception, your majesty."

"I think I already made an exception. In fact, I do fall in love with that one lovely idiot."

"You do?" The blonde whispered. Emma's green eyes were fixed on Regina's brown ones. The tips of their noses brushed against each other's. The blonde gently placed her hands on the brunette's waist.

"Yes, I do." Regina nodded as she whispered so closely against Emma lips. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and pulled the brunette closer. She held Regina tight to her chest, feeling the other woman's heartbeats. They stared at each other intently, their faces mere an inch apart. The blonde's gaze moved down to the scar just above the brunette's upper lips, craving to actually taste it. Emma gave Regina an affectionate smile before deciding to close the small gap in between them.

"I may kiss the bride." She joked before their lips finally touched each other's. The kiss started off gentle as they initially explored each other's needs. Emma breathed in the sweet scent of the brunette and then she pressed her lips against Regina's with so much passion. The blonde could feel that her heart was pounding hard against her chest as some wild desire rushing down her spine. Then, Regina wrapped her arms around the blonde's shoulder and she moved forward to deepen the kiss. Emma's tongue traced the fullness of Regina's soft lips, begging for an entrance. Regina sighed as she parted her lips and granted Emma's tongue the access that she sought for. Their tongues danced together and they savored each other's taste. Regina moaned softly and it gave a rush of sheer pleasure inside of Emma. They were lost in heated passion until they both had to pull back when they needed the air to breathe. Emma rested her forehead on Regina's, slowly opening her eyes to see the woman before her. Regina still had her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around Emma's shoulders.

"Wow." Regina whispered as she opened her eyes.

"Yes, indeed." Emma smiled triumphantly. "Why didn't I kiss you before this?" She placed her hand on Regina's cheek, caressing it softly with her thumb.

"I don't know. Maybe because you were too busy to be a superstar, you had everyone all around you. So many boys… or girls to be kissed." Regina sniggered at the other woman.

"Gosh, Regina. That is so not legit. They're all my dudes, I love them all but they're not you. I don't want everyone or anyone. I want you." Regina was so speechless but had a small smile on her face. Tears welled up in her eyes. Emma leaned forward and captured the brunette's lips with her own again. Regina deepened the kiss and Emma let go a soft groan against the brunette's lips. They smiled into the kiss before pulling back and stared at each other with so much fondness.

"Are you sure about this, Emma? You'll be sorry because whatever this is between us, it won't get any easier."

"Has it ever been?" Both of them chuckled lightly as they rested their foreheads on each other's. "I've never been sure of anything, Gina, but this. I am very sure about this. I am very sure about you. I want this. I want us." Emma pulled back to look into Regina's stunning brown eyes. "How about you? Are you sure about this? Do you want this?"

Regina giggled endearingly before answering. "I am very sure about this, Emma. I want us too."

"Good." Emma's grin widened. "I told you this before but I really wanted to tell you this again. Henry brought me back here because he wanted me to bring you happiness. He actually brought me to my happiness instead. It's you. You are my home. You are my happiness. I want to keep it that way. I'm keeping you and Henry."

"I really don't like the idea of him travelling alone to get you." Regina paused, realizing something. "He is grounded forever." Emma chuckled at that. "But I am glad that he actually brought you back here because I really wanted to tell you something, Emma. Something that I kept to myself for way too long."

"And what is that?"

"I love you, Emma Swan." Regina said with so much affection. The blonde inhaled deeply as she beamed.

"I love you, Regina Mills." She leaned in and kissed the other woman again. This time, the kiss lingered.

* * *

The yellow bug was parked by the side of the road in front of the Mills' mansion. The two women were still in the car. Both were still anxious of their current state. Emma and Regina shared a look and the blonde placed her hand on the brunette's.

"I think they're all in there, waiting for us."

Regina huffed. "I really had no idea what I was thinking when I took off just now. I feel like an idiot. I don't know what to explain to them. It is going to be so awkward."

"Yeah, a runaway bride. That should be something." Regina glared at the blonde. "What? It is true." Emma laughed and Regina pouted at her. "Hey, don't worry. I'm pretty damn sure that they will understand. We're the two idiots in love. That would explain it."

"Yes, that is pretty much self-explanatory." Regina said, clearly not so amused with that.

"Hey, I promised you that it is not going to be that bad." She cupped the brunette's face in her hands and their gazes met. Regina noticed the warmth and reassurance in Emma's eyes. She swore she could get lost in those mesmerizing green eyes. "You're not doing anything alone because I will be there as well. We're in this together. And if they don't like it then they will have to deal with both of us." Emma said and Regina noticed the encouragement in her tone. "Or my fist."

"Emma, no fist!" Regina frowned and she pinched Emma's arm as hard as she could through the folds of Emma's red leather jacket.

"Ouch, I was joking." Emma laughed at that, still holding Regina's face in her hands. "So, are you ready to go in now?"

"Whenever you are."

"Great." The blonde said as she brushed away a strand of hair that fell across Regina's face. The brunette then leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Emma's lips. "I'll never get tired of that." Emma had an adorable grin on her face and Regina chuckled at that.

"Me too."

"Okay, shall we go now?" Emma asked and the other woman nodded. They both got out of the yellow bug and Regina stared at her mansion while Emma walked around her car to get to the brunette. The blonde offered her hand to the brunette and Regina accepted it, intertwining their fingers firmly together. They gazed into their lover's eyes and smiled at the thought. Then, they walked up towards the front porch, hand-in-hand until they heard the clicking sound of the front door being opened.

"Moms!" Henry stepped out of the mansion and rushed towards his mothers. The two women enveloped the boy into an embrace. "I knew it. You'll find her, Emma." Henry beamed at Emma.

"Nah, we both found each other." Emma stole a glance at Regina before smiling back at her son. The boy's grin grew wider.

"Operation Swan-Queen is a success?" Henry asked both of his mothers. Regina glowered at that and Emma laughed.

"Well, I guess you can say that." The blonde smiled at Regina and the smaller woman then returned the smile at her.

"I knew it. I can see that mom is so happy now!" The boy pulled away from the embrace, jumped around as he raised his fists into the air and let go a joyous squeal. "I did it!"

The two women laughed at their son. "Hey, maybe we should let him be happy for the day and then he'll be grounded forever." Emma whispered at the brunette. "I'll talk to him about this operation later."

"You and I both."

"Yes, sure." The two woman gazed at each other knowingly.

"Regina!" Both of the women turned to look at the group of people who just walked out of the mansion. Cora and Henry Sr. walked up to their daughter and pulled her into a family hug. Mary-Margaret and David who was holding his son followed the old couple. Emma noticed that her friend, Ruby, was in the group as well. David nodded at Emma and the blonde smiled at her brother.

"I am glad that you're okay, dear." Cora said to her daughter.

"I'm fine, mom."

"I'm sorry, my girl." The mayor had a sad smile on his face. "I really didn't know…"

"It's okay, dad. I'm fine really. I learned a lot from this I guess." Regina placed her hands on his father's reassuringly. "I made mistake. I'm really sorry. And trust me, it isn't your fault, daddy."

"Thank you, my dear." The three of them smiled at each other. The old couple then simultaneously turned to look at Emma. The blonde's eyes widened at that. She could feel that her heart was pounding so hard against her chest. "Thank you very much, Emma." The mayor said to the blonde with his genuine smile.

"No problem, Mr. Mayor. It is my pleasure." Emma laughed nervously and the old man nodded at her. _Fuck away the fucking fuck!_ David tried to hold his laughter when he noticed the uneasiness on his sister's face.

"We will talk about all of this later but right now I'm going to call Zelena. She was so worried just now." Cora interrupted them, saving Emma from an awkward situation. Regina looked at her mother with pleading eyes and Cora smiled at her daughter. "Henry dear, please come with me." Cora told her husband and then turned to look at her daughter again. "Regina sweetheart, I think you need to talk to your friends. They were worried sick about you." The brunette glanced at her friends and chuckled.

"Sure, mom." Both Henry Sr. and Cora planted a kiss on Regina's cheeks before walking together into the mansion.

"Damn, that was so close." Emma muttered and David laughed at her so hard. The blonde glared at the man. "Shut the fuck up."

"Regina! What were you thinking?" Regina rolled her eyes when she heard the familiar high-pitch voice. "You should know better than this." Mary-Margaret said with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I am so sorry for making you worried about me, Mary-Margaret."

"I can't believe it!" Mary-Margaret pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Emma and you are together now!" Regina's cheeks turned bright red and Henry laughed at them.

"Hey, good job girl." David muttered at Emma with a snicker. The blonde shook her head with a smile on her face and she mouthed 'shut up' to him. Then, the man walked up to his wife, swaying his son in his arms towards Regina.

Ruby walked up to the blonde with a mischievous grin on her face. Emma rolled her eyes when she noticed Ruby was approaching her but the blonde could not help but smiling as well. "What are you doing here?" Emma asked her best friend warily.

"Hey, be thankful. I babysat Henry because Zelena's baby had a tantrum and all of you were going crazy. Someone needed to be the sane one around Henry and I guess it had to be me after all." Ruby sniggered. "So, you and Regina?"

"Shut up." Ruby raised her eyebrows at the blonde. "Yes, Regina and me."

"Finally! Anyway, the bridal suite is still there. I heard that they paid so much for it. Don't want to waste it, right?" Emma's cheeks turned bright red and she scowled at her friend. Ruby laughed loudly at that. "By the way, aren't you supposed to get back to work anytime soon?"

The blonde watched the group of people before her. David was happily holding his son, Neil, in his arms while Regina was teasing the little boy. Mary-Margaret and Henry were laughing as they talked with each other. Then, Emma looked at Regina, her Regina, with a knowing smile. "Nah, I'll call in sick. New York can wait." She was too excited to be working. She just found her family. So much flaws but it was the perfect family for her. It was her happy ending but with a new beginning. "Maybe I'll stay."

Regina peered over her shoulder to look at Emma and smiled at the latter. Emma returned the smile. "Yeah, I'm staying."

* * *

 _Flashback._

 _The two women chattered happily after they introduced their daughters to each other. It was the first day of the girls in the kindergarten. The brunette girl in her pink plaid dress peered up at her mother with an innocent look. Cora noticed that her girl was staring at her, so she bent down at the girl's height. "Regina, come on. You met Emma before. Well, you girls were babies." Cora said as she turned to the other girl. "But trust me, you've seen her before. Both of you can be good friends." Regina glanced at the blonde girl who was in a white t-shirt and a pair of baggy blue jeans. Emma was wearing her blue baseball cap but Regina noticed the beautiful long blonde hair that she had. The blonde looked at Regina and smiled at her, her dimples were showing._

" _Mom, can I play with her at the playground." Emma pulled the hem of her mother's blouse as she pointed at Regina with her other hand. Ingrid squatted down to face her daughter._

" _Sure honey. Go ahead but you have to be careful." The blonde woman said as she removed the blue cap from Emma's head. "And remember to play nice."_

" _Oh yeah! Thanks mom!" Emma beamed at her mother and hugged the woman tightly. She let go of her mother and turned around to talk to Regina but the other girl had already walked towards the playground. "Hey, wait for me." Emma called up Regina and started running after the smaller girl. The two women laughed at the girl before walking up to other parents._

 _Regina kept on walking until Emma caught up to her. The brunette stopped and stared at the girl next to her. "Wow, you're fast. You were suddenly gone." Emma babbled and puffed at the same time. The other girl rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving the dumbfounded girl. "Seriously?"_

" _Hey, wait. Where are you going?" Emma followed the other girl. "Hey, say something, midget!"_

" _That is mean!" Regina scolded the other girl and she crossed her arms over her chest._

" _You can talk." Emma said with a grin. Her eyes widened in awe._

" _Of course I can talk." Regina scowled at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"_

" _Like what?"_

" _Like you are so surprised."_

" _I am surprised. Your voice is cute just like your eyes." Emma shrugged and Regina blushed at the compliment._

" _Thank you."_

" _You're welcome. I am Emma." The blonde smiled and Regina noticed how adorable Emma was._

" _I know. Your mom told me just now."_

" _No, you should tell me your name as well."_

" _You already know me." Regina_

" _Yeah, I know but I want us to actually say hi to each other."_

" _Why?"_

" _Because when my mom told me that we have met before, I can't actually remember you." Emma's brows furrowed. "I really want to remember you the next time I see you and I really want to be your friend." Emma grinned and Regina found that it was infectious. She returned the blonde's smile._

" _Fine." Regina nodded at her and she had a sweet smile plastered on her face. The taller girl found that it was so endearing._

" _Great." Emma's grin grew wider. "Hi, my name is Emma Swan." The blonde girl offered her hand at the other girl._

" _Hello, I am Regina Mills." Regina said with a tinge of pink on her cheeks. She accepted the blonde's hand and gently shook it. Emma smiled at the smaller girl, promising herself that she would always remember the other girl. Regina had the feeling that she would never forget the blonde after this._

 _It was their first touch. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that would become something so much more. They held each other's hand and their small fingers intertwined firmly. They kept holding onto each other ever since that day, and they were already home._

When life takes its own course

Sometimes we just don't get to choose

I'd rather be there next to you

Promise you'll wait for me

Wait 'til I'm home

All I have is this feeling inside of me

The only thing I've ever known

If only New York wasn't so far away

I will be there every step of the way

And when you're scared and alone

Just know that I'm already home


End file.
